Power Rangers Chronic Storm: The Axis Of Power
by The Disney Brain
Summary: In the distant future, the Power Rangers were but a distant memory. That was before a powerful Queen brought the power back in an effort to defend the universe. These are the adventures of the Chronic Storm Power Rangers.
1. Prologue of the Past

**Prologue of the Past**

A Ranger's job is never done.

Mariner Bay, 2001. Months removed from Carter Grayson and the Lightspeed Rescue Power Rangers stopping a demon named Queen Bansheera, one of her demon generals named Vypra resurfaced. It took both the Lightspeed Rescue Rangers and the Time Force Rangers to drive her back into the dirt. But when the Lightspeed team returned to the Aquabase after a hard fought win, another unexpected visitor soon followed.

The six Ranger team walked through the narrow halls of the Aquabase, having returned from yesterday's team-up mission with wide grins and empty stomachs.

"Woo, I'm beat," said Kelsey, the Yellow Lightspeed Rescue Ranger. "I'm thinking lunch!"

"I'll second that," replied Joel, the Green Ranger.

"You guys go on ahead," Carter added, the Red Ranger. "I'll catch up after I deliver a full report to Captain Mitchell."

Kelsey grinned at Chad, the Blue Ranger. "Race ya!" She started running down the hall before Chad could gather himself, barely avoiding Aquabase employees in her mad dash.

"Hey, no fair." Chad chased her down.

While the team prepared to satiate their appetites, Carter entered Captain Mitchell's office while Mitchell sorted through some paperwork on his dark brown desk. He noticed Carter and rose from his chair.

Carter stood at attention.

"The mission went well?" asked Mitchell.

Carter nodded. "Vypra returned, sir. But with the help of the Time Force Rangers, we were able to stop her. Hopefully for good."

Mitchell nodded while he stared into his nearby fish tank. "And the Solar Amulet?"

"Secured back at the museum, sir."

"Good." Mitchell turned back to Carter with a stern expression. "But, if Vypra could return…"

"Yes, sir. If anyone else comes back, we'll be ready."

Mitchell nodded. "I'll get Miss Fairweather on it immediately. She should be able to track down the—"

Just as soon, a proximity alert rang throughout the base. Someone or something approached from the outside. Mitchell immediately got into contact with the Aquabase's lead scientist. "Ms. Fairweather, what do we have?"

From the central hub of the Aquabase, a slew of scientists and workers scurried around while the tan-skinned, long-haired Angela Fairweather focused on a computer screen. "One very weak signature, Captain. It's coming from just outside the surface tunnel connector. It's not a demon, but it's fading quickly."

"Sir, we can handle this," stated Carter.

"Approach with caution. Weak signature or not, we have to believe that Vypra's return was no accident."

"Understood, sir." Carter quickly left Mitchell's office and joined his team.

The Rangers jumped inside the Rescue Rover, a yellow jeep-like vehicle. Carter took the wheel, hit the gas, and raced down the glass tunnel that led to the surface and the city. They quickly reached the end of the tunnel, causing the grey gate to lift upwards. As the sunlight snuck through, the open gate revealed a bloodied, injured woman just outside, crawling with heavy breathes to push herself forward.

The team quickly jumped out of the Rescue Rover. Dana observed the body of the mysterious woman. She was clad in stiff, grey armor with multiple strands of white adorning her short, dark hair and possessing a trio of long, vertical scars dressed upon the side of her neck.

"P-Please… h-help… me…" she weakly called out.

Dana's eyes and hands moved quickly to check her pulse and assess her condition. She looked back to the others with a stony expression. "Her injuries are serious. We have to get her inside right away."

Carter nodded and helped Dana lift the mysterious woman up while she faded in and out of consciousness.

Minutes later, the team all gathered inside the medical area while the mystifying woman laid nearly motionless on a grey bed in the center of the room. Miss Fairweather and Dana managed to stop her bleeding, but her weakened pulse painted a grim picture.

Kelsey looked upon the stranger with mournful eyes while shaking her head. "Who could have done this?"

"Maybe Captain Mitchell was right," Carter said. "Maybe Vypra wasn't the only demon to come back."

"Aww man!" Joel reacted. "I am _not_ putting off another honeymoon. That cruise was non-refundable."

Just then, the curious woman's body started to quiver as her eyes slowly opened up.

"Guys, she's finally waking up," said Dana.

The strange woman's gaze darted back and forth as the others carefully surrounded her. Her confused jaw hung open before looking to Carter. "Carter Grayson."

Carter's eyes widened. "You know me?"

"I know of you… My son… he was an admirer of your work." She lifted herself out of the hospital bed and stood on her own two feet; her breathing still labored and her legs wobbling under the weight of her body.

Dana quickly held onto her. "You shouldn't be walking yet."

She pushed Dana away. "I know all too well that I haven't much time. But my health is of no consequence. Carter Grayson, I need to speak with you. It's a matter of life or death."

"Life or death…?" asked Carter.

She took a deep breath before continuing, "I'll start with this: I am not from this archaic period. I traveled eons backwards through time to seek you out. My name is Queen Diane Cahill. I too was born and raised right here on Earth, even rising to rule it. But in my time, we needed something more. So, I unified the planetary systems, both near and far. And then, I ascended to the title of Queen of the known Universe."

Joel immediately chuckled. "Dana, I think you missed a spot upstairs."

"Not funny Joel," replied Dana.

Diane glared at Joel with palpable heat locked inside her eyes. "Do I look to be in a joking mood? Do you believe my injuries were caused by, what? Mere happenstance? No… we were caught off guard… and the Earth paid the price for my lack of awareness…" Her eyes began to water as her mind forced her back inside the horror. "I lost the war… I lost my home… I lost… my son… I lost everything…"

Carter calmly approached her. "Ma'am… I'll hear out what you have to say. And if I we can help, then we will."

Diane took a deep breath, wiped the tears from her eyes, and took a few moments to ready herself. Then, she explained, "In the year 2985, my Universal Monarchy was officially established; a powerful step towards peace that came off the heels of our victory over the warrior race known as Triforia. However, the Triforians soon began banning together rogue star systems and leading a rebellion against my rule. We would go on to battle them for years with moderate success. But then, they changed their game. A new General by the name of Axis started giving us problems for which we had no solution. It wasn't the savagery or brutishness of the battles before. He was cunning, conniving, calculating. And then... five years after the new war began, the war was lost and the Earth fell... The Triforian forces closed in on my palace to make the end official. In a state of desperation, I used unstable time warp technology to escape while I watched my allies and comrades mercilessly slaughtered before me, swearing to them that I would rectify my greatest failure. My son... he often spoke of the Power Rangers. He knew practically everything about the heroes lost to time, but capable of unparalleled wonders. He often spoke of you, Carter. That's why I'm here. To save the future, the Earth, and the entire universe, we need the Power Rangers to return."

The Rangers stood in complete shock upon hearing the full story unfold. They all looked around at each other, but none could come up with a response.

None, except Carter, "I'll help in whatever way I can. What do you need me to do?"

"Carter, are you seriously buying this?" asked Joel.

Diane started coughing violently as blood began to escape her throat. Her eyes faded in and out as her consciousness began to fade once more.

Dana approached her, but Diane motioned her away. "There's… nothing more that… can be done for me…" She fell to one knee. "This is it… You are my very last hope, Carter… I need you to… travel back to the year 2985, before the conflict starts… Convince a younger version of myself to bring back the… Power… Rangers…"

Diane collapsed upon the floor as her struggle gave way to her injuries. She used what remained of her strength to place a blue, circular device in Carter's hand. "This… will explain… everything… Save… the universe… save… my… s… s… son…" Her breathing suddenly stopped as her body laid still on the floor.

"No!" Carter cried. "Dana, can you save her!?"

Dana shook her head in disbelief. "She's gone… There was nothing we could have done. Her body was in critical condition before we even found her. It's a miracle she lasted this long."

Carter stared intently at the advanced device in his hands. It looked somewhat similar to the Time Force technology he had seen just a day ago.

Ryan, the Titanium Ranger, looked to Carter. "You're actually thinking about going through with this?"

Carter held tight to the device and nodded. "She wouldn't have come all the way here for nothing… She knew… She knew she would die here just on the off chance that I could help."

"If you're going, we're all going," stated Kelsey.

Chad nodded in agreement.

Joel nodded in a slower, decidedly less enthusiastic manner. "We're with you, Carter."

"Guys, that means a lot," Carter said. "But Mariner Bay needs the Power Rangers too. Yesterday, it was Vypra. For all we know it could be Diabolico tomorrow."

"Are you sure about this?" asked Ryan.

Carter nodded. "This is the right thing to do."

Half an hour later, Carter finished his preparations for the trip. Just outside the Aquabase, he pushed the center button on the device. It started to beep and whir before hovering in the air. From out of it emerged a swirling portal with blue and white hues dancing about inside. His team looked on with mouths agape as the portal expanded to its full size; about a meter taller than Carter himself.

Carter took a quick breath before looking back his team. He gave them a confident nod.

They all nodded back.

Dana walked up to him and hugged him tightly while her face held back her tears. "Come back soon."

"I will." Carter returned her firm embrace. "Keep an eye on these guys for me. Especially Joel."

"Heard that," added Joel.

Captain Mitchell gave Carter a slow nod. "Go save the world."

"You can count on me, sir." Carter turned back around, took a deeper breath, and entered the portal. His body disappeared through the swirling lights, transporting him nearly a millennium into the future before the temporal rift rapidly collapsed and vanished.


	2. Chapter 1: Queen

**Chapter 1: Queen**

The burning irritation returned, forcing Queen Diane to itch at the trio of linear scars dressed upon her neck. Once more, she ignored the pain and marched forward down the sun-lit corridor. The gentle warmth of the sun's rays cut through the reinforced window panes, splashing the metal floors with light as she walked.

She stopped to face a large brown door that beeped repeatedly upon detecting her presence. After a quick retinal scan, the door lifted upwards. She turned her head to the left, seeing the pair of green doors that lead out to the highest palace balcony. With a heavy sigh and a subtle parting of her graying black hair, she stepped inside the room. The Queen could not bask in the sun just yet.

Inside the room, the rounded walls were paved with the deep green and silver of Earth's banner while the white ceiling towered overhead, as if to mirror the clouds. No shelves or ostentatious paintings lined the walls. No pictures or computer screens. The Queen's meeting room: designed to be simple and functional.

Diane walked towards the hexagonal table resting at the center of room. The closest hovering chair made a faint clicking sound before pulling itself out for her. She took a seat and pushed a button on her silver wrist computer. The crimson red projection screen depicted a hologram of the current date: January 20th, 2990, a quarter past four. A full week had passed since she'd last been on Earth.

Pressing her head against the welcoming caress of the seat cushion, her heavy eyes forced themselves shut. A panicked scream raced through her sudden dream. Her eyes flashed open while she sprung up from her chair with fists tightly clenched. A cold sweat ran down her face. She breathed in and out while her pounding heart gradually slowed; a heart she could not feel beating through her stiff outerwear.

Everywhere she went, she wore light, sturdy, and flexible silver and black armor, a day younger than her trio of scars. She bit her lip with a scowl as she itched at the scars again. A quick and painless fix, but pleas to absolve Diane of her nagging source of aggravation were always met with an adamant refusal.

One last meeting for today. One more planet to nurse back to health. Ruling proved much simpler when the Kingdom of the known universe was just the Kingdom of Earth. Today, Xybria; the latest in a long line of planets to bend to the weight of the current war. But if nothing else, Diane could anticipate a more joyous meeting as a change of pace.

A few moments later, Diane received a communication from her wrist device. One of her guards informed her of the Ambassador's arrival. She then pressed another button on her wrist, overriding security clearances for her meeting room. The door quickly lifted up, revealing a somewhat pudgy, green-haired man dressed in beige ropes and wearing a contagious smile.

Diane quickly got up and extended her hand. "Ambassador Trian. An honor to welcome you back to the palace. Please, make yourself at home."

Trian shook her hand with excessively rapid motions. "Ha! Earth is my home now, My Queen. My little one loves it here too. It's everything you promised and more."

"Ah, yes. Trip, was it? Your son is quite the ball of energy, Ambassador."

"Not so different from your boy, hehe."

Diane gently smiled and nodded. "I've been away from him for far too long. In any case, let's cut right to it and spare you some valuable time. The Xybrians have been nothing but loyal to me and the Kingdom for years now. I understand and empathize with the recent destruction of many of your home's capital city structures at the hands of the Resistance. I'll be sending over a hand-picked group of representatives to assist in your rebuild at no cost to Xybria. Your new capital buildings will be stronger and your people more protected than ever before."

Trian's eyes widened while his mouth hung open. "M-My Queen… you are too generous."

"Hmm, if only more leaders were as open-minded as you."

"Don't let Zordina's turncoats bother you, My Queen. They are a stubborn race, but they always see reason, eventually. They'll be back in your service before too long. The things you willingly do for this universe… it gives us reason to hope again."

Diane nodded and shook Trian's hand. "This universe fell into madness because the people within it refused to look out for each other. I will not let that fate befall us twice. The endless wars we've suffered through, few living could tell you when they began, or why. The nightmare is nearly over, Ambassador. Our children will sleep soundly again."

Trian left the palace with a sizable grin stretched across his face. Similar to the foreign embassies of much earlier times, he worked as one of many planetary representatives living on Earth to ensure that his people had a voice in the monarchy. Full of spirit, notoriously trusting, and easy to please, as most Xybrians are, but Diane never took a chance with Trian or his people. Their propensity for telepathy proved too valuable for intelligence collection.

The door slid back downwards, providing a reprieve from the day. After a deep sigh, Diane slumped back into her chair. Her eyelids grew heavier with each passing moment, but before she could fully close them, she noticed a peculiar sound just beyond her chamber door. A deep, operatic voice grew in intensity before her door lifted once more.

A young man with light brown skin and very short black hair entered the room. The red shirt he wore sported the design of a fossilized tyrannosaurus head across the front. "Let's stop this criiiime! It's morphin' tiiiime!" he sung as he lifted his hands in the air before lightly adjusting his black rimmed glasses. "Mother, mother! You're not gonna believe what happened this time! So, Tommy and Tonya, you remember them right?"

"Mmm…" Diane mumbled with eyes shut.

"They were stuck singing everything during half the battle! It was crazy! And guess what happened next?"

"Mmm…?"

"The Power Rangers won again! They're invincible!"

Jason Cahill. Otherwise known as the prince of the Kingdom and heir to the throne. After his excitable explanation, he stared intently at one of the chairs before launching a kick upon it. The chair automatically jutted out, causing Jason to miss his kick a perform a full spin. He nearly lost his balance trying to stick the landing, but still wore a smirk.

Diane forced herself off of her chair, her eyes reddening as she rubbed them. Still she managed a smile while she patted Jason on the head, her six foot frame hovering just a few inches over her son. Quite tall for a woman of the times. "Yes, my son. Those Rangers are quite powerful. However, you're getting a bit old to be prancing about every time you watch them. You're almost 24 years of age after all."

Jason stared up at his mother with a hopeful gleam in his eyes. "Mother, when can I join the Academy and become a Power Ranger too?"

Diane sighed while she motioned Jason to follow her down the hall. "We've gone over this many times, my son. You are royalty. We have our own Rangers specifically so people like us need not engage in combat. We serve the universe in a different way."

The pair reached the balcony level, a fairly wide space lined with white metal tiles. Finally, Diane could breathe in the crisp winter air.

The afternoon sun shared what warmth it had left for the day as it gently nuzzled against a rocky, orange mountain top in the western horizon. To the east, Neo Angles; the city most adjacent to the palace. All of their towering buildings sported the familiar tint of dark green, silver, and black.

Even now, Diane stared alertly, overseeing her kingdom with piercing, precision eyes. The tiny blips of changing lights constantly shifted and moved in the bustling city streets and in the skies above, both filled to the brim with inbound traffic. Nothing seemed amiss.

Jason walked up to the edge of the balcony and leaned on the railing, looking down upon the horizon somberly. He could see it clearly from up here: the dark green, hexagonal rooftop of the Ranger Academy, just a few yards removed from the palace grounds. "I feel so useless, cooped up in this palace all the time."

"Not true. You remember our last trip to the Andromeda Galaxy, don't you?"

Jason rolled his eyes. "Yeah, but you were just at boring meetings the whole time. Not much of an adventure…"

"Those 'boring meetings' are what keeps this monarchy afloat." Diane walked closer to the balcony's edge before slightly pushing Jason away from it.

"Aww, come on. I'm not gonna fall."

"My son, you may not understand now, but everything I do is in the interest of your protection. Most people cannot claim such good fortune. Someday, you too will carry the weight of a life you value over even your own. On that day, you will understand my words. Ideally, _before_ you rule over all I have built."

Jason gave Diane a sly look, his brows flickering. "Sooo, when I'm king, you _can't_ tell me I can't be a Ranger, right?"

Diane sighed again while rubbing the sides of her head. A moment later, her eyes widened, darting around the horizon. She peered over the edge of the balcony while rapidly swinging her head back and forth.

"Mother…?" Jason asked worriedly. "What's wrong?"

Diane snapped her fingers and a pair of her personal guards swung open the balcony doors, both with thicker armor matching the Queen's color scheme. "Guards, do not let him out of your sights. Quickly, inside you go."

"Yes, My Queen!" Her personal guards led him away while Jason wore a disapproving frown.

Diane then activated her wrist communicator. "Carter, we may have another situation. I know your new team just returned from a difficult mission, but—"

"Say no more, we're on it."

"Good. Gather your Rangers and meet me on the kingdom balcony after a sweep of the palace grounds. I can't shake the feeling that we're about to run into a familiar face."

"On our way."

Inside a bright white washroom, Carter Grayson took in his latest order from Queen Diane. The silver faucet automatically turned off in front of him, filling the metal sink with warm water. He dipped his hands in before washing off the dirt and oil splotched upon his face. A quick look in the mirror revealed a few additional white hairs; his wet skin also marred in newfound wrinkles and cuts. He plucked one of his hairs out and held it up to the light. He had nearly forgotten how long it had been since he entered that time portal. All these hairs were dark brown just five years ago.

He exited the washroom, a stark color contrast to the dark blue inner walls of the Astro Megaship Mark IV. Walking down the curved hallways lit up by white floorboards, he could hear the Astro4's steaming engines. They had barely cooled down since the Rangers returned from their mission on Xybria.

Carter walked into the bridge of the ship where the rest of his team had assembled. Two layers of grey consoles lined the semi-circular room. His team leaned against the walls near the bridge's entrance; their light-hearted discussions cut short upon witnessing Carter's stone-faced expression.

All but the Yellow Ranger wore the same wide-eyed face as their smiles and laughs ran away. The Yellow Ranger, a short but muscular red-headed man, simply nodded acceptingly. In addition to Carter, Red Ranger 1, the Chronic Storm line-up included Yellow Ranger 2, Blue Ranger 3, Pink Ranger 4, and Green Ranger 5. For the last three, this would mark mission number 2, day 1.

"Alright, we have our next mission," Carter stated. "We sweep the palace grounds for any disturbances. Then, we meet up with Queen Diane on the balcony. She doesn't like the way this one feels, so stay alert."

The Pink Ranger, a long-haired brunette, coyly raised her hand. "Is it the Triforians again, or one of their allies?"

"We don't know."

The Green Ranger's head sagged down with a gentle sigh.

"Keanu, we'll have time to rest later."

The Green Ranger, a nearly bald, fair-skinned man, looked back at him with a raised brow. "It's, um… Kato, sir."

Carter's eyes widened as his cheeks flushed a light red. "Kato, right. Sorry… Everyone, let's move out."

Carter and the team ran out of the Astro4. He looked towards his Pink Ranger and tried to think of her name. His mind drew a blank. His Blue Ranger. No different. How many teams, how many Rangers had he gone through, he wondered. No time to sort it all out.

All the while, Diane vigilantly watched over the horizon with tight eyes, bearing witness to the Ranger Academy; a structure filled with trainees and new recruits, but scarce on veterans. She and Carter developed the institution together to help protect this time and stave off a horrifying fate. But the Queen could not shake the feelings of uncertainty that clouded her thoughts. _Could this be the start of everything he warned me about?_

Just then, a score of explosions rang and rumbled through the city streets. Civilians took to running and screaming in panicked response. The smoke and ashes rose quickly as the Ranger Academy suddenly reformed into a smoldering, twisted heap of burnt metal and charred bodies.

Diane's frame shivered and trembled while she gazed at the rising black plumes down below. She took to her wrist to make contact with the Rangers, but her communication device was unresponsive.

Then, a royal guard approached Diane from the rear.

"Tell me what's happening out there this instant!" bellowed Diane.

The guard's words struggled to escape his lips as blood spewed from his mouth. "I... I'm s-sorry… My… Q-Queen…"

His body collapsed upon the ground, prompting Diane to turn around in alarm.

A large, muscular man draped in white armor laced in gold held a staff with a short blade on the end, coated in a deep, dripping crimson hue. He swiftly kicked the body to the side as another, shorter man, no taller than the Queen herself, walked in from behind him.

The smaller man wore a smirk while stepping around the puddle of blood in front of him. The evening rays of the sun bounced off his thin black armor with gold linings on the edges. His slicked back jet black hair, unmoved by the breeze as his precision stare locked onto the pale faced Queen. "Very well, I'll tell you exactly what's happening out there: the end of your Power Rangers. And you, soon enough."


	3. Chapter 2: General

**Chapter 2: General**

Diane's breath labored as the man clad in black with gold linings approached her with a confident look about him. Her eyes darted to the left and right, her mind trying to piece together how her palace security could have been so easily compromised. Her deepest fears were now realized. "I had a feeling it would be you… General Axis!"

Axis held his smirk while playfully bowing to Diane. "The one and only. Truthfully, I'm impressed you actually had an intuition about me. I suppose I've quite grown on you in my short time as Resistance leader."

"Enough of your nonsense!" Diane tightened her fists and lifted her arms; her pale face cast aside in favor of a heated gaze.

"Heh, do you truly believed I'd come all this way for a fist fight?" Axis looked back at the large man behind him. "Lieutenant South, lock the doors in case the alarms come back on and nuisances start popping up."

"At once, My General." South turned around and pushed a button on a control panel next to the pair of balcony doors, sliding them shut. He then used his bladed staff to slice the panel in two. It sparked and fizzled out before its internal yellow light faded away.

Axis then unveiled a metallic glove covering his right forearm that started crackling and sparking with white electricity.

Diane's eyes widened. She started to back off as the crackles of light struck the ground; the deafening sound ringing and beating inside her ears.

Axis extended his metallic arm and launched the electricity at her.

The attack sailed through the air before striking Diane. The static blast coursed through her body, dropping her to her knees as she cried out in anguish before collapsing on the floor. Her armor began to sizzle from the heat of the attack.

"Enjoyed my new trick did you? Not a mastery by any means, but a start. In any case." Axis walked over to Diane's squirming body and grabbed her by the collar, pulling her face up close. "You, 'My Queen,' are now my prisoner. Do act accordingly."

The breeze started to pick up. Axis smirked while he turned his gaze upwards, knowingly. A small black ship with inward curving wings decloaked just overhead. As it became visible, its form was cast against the evening sun; its shadow looming over the balcony.

A second man leapt down from the ship, just as large and bulky as the one standing by Axis. His first and his second lieutenants: both at least a full foot taller and a full shade tanner than he was. And both sporting the same white armor with gold linings.

"Ah, right on time," said Axis.

Axis grabbed hold of the Queen while the two lieutenants scanned the horizons for any incoming enemy forces. A sizable crowd of civilians and first responders could be seen at the sight of the decimated Academy. The people scurried around like ants; the sirens and alarms just barely audible from the balcony. More notably, no alarms going off inside the palace halls. All according to plan so far.

Suddenly, the balcony doors were blown open, rattling off the hinges and slamming on the ground.

Carter and the Power Rangers walked up to face down the Triforian trio. "Not so fast, Axis!"

Axis' eyes darted from right to left, sizing up their five foes.

"My General," the second lieutenant stated while clenching his fists. "Let us remove these Rangers from your sight. They have sullied the Triforian name for too long."

Axis shrugged. "Have at them then, but be quick about it."

Carter looked back at his team. "Ready guys?"

All of them gave him stern nods while their eyes remained fixed on their opponents.

"Let's do it!"

The team revealed their color-coded wrist Morphers and pushed the center button. "Chronic Storm, Ranger form!" they cried in unison as the five became cast inside a myriad of lights radiating off their bodies.

The Triforians shielded their eyes from the bright burn while the shine of the Ranger's morphing sequence illuminated the balcony like a shimmering star in the sky. When the display ceased, the trio opened their eyes again to witness five fully morphed Chronic Storm Power Rangers.

A "CS" insignia could be found decorating their silver belts locked inside a hexagonal design. Their black visors wrapped around their helmets, similar to the design of the Operation Overdrive Rangers of yesteryear. Their identifying colors coated most of their suits, save the black middle area, extending from neck to belt, wherein their symbol stood: a numberless, hexagonal shaped clock with a hand pointed straight up into the high corner. A slightly shorter hand corresponded to each Ranger's designated number. Carter's chest showed the equivalent of high noon, and each ascending number saw the shorter hand shift clockwise, pointing towards the next angle.

The Rangers lifted their fists in front of them and held their positions. Axis grinned widely while rotating a dial on his glove.

The Rangers charged forward.

The Triforian lieutenants charged back.

Axis' eyes carefully scanned the battle as his men fended off the five Rangers. The second lieutenant was being forced back by a constant, punishing barrage of punches from four of the Rangers.

Lieutenant South however launched a powerful kick to Cater's ribs that threw him against the the balcony railing, separating him from the others.

Axis' eyes gleamed as he quickly let off a huge electric blast, striking Carter where he stood and sending him falling over the edge.

"CARTER!" cried the Yellow Ranger.

Carter's body tossed and turned as it violently slide down the palace walls, only to be abruptly stopped by the stiff floor of a balcony perched several levels below. His Ranger mode disappeared in a quick flash of red light. He just barely managed to let out a grunt before passing out.

Back upstairs, the second lieutenant caught the Yellow Ranger's arm and flung him into the wall near the decimated balcony entrance. The remaining three all gathered towards him while Yellow struggled to move. Four leaderless Rangers already gasped for breath while both lieutenants stared them down.

"Excellent work, the both of you." Axis turned towards Diane. With labored breathing and a heavy body, she tried to claw away at the ground in a desperate bid for escape.

Axis walked over and stepped on her crawling arm. "Oh no no, 'My Queen.' Have yourself a good look at the cost of your tyranny." He grabbed Diane's head and forced her to face the current scene.

The remaining Rangers all looked to the Yellow Ranger for the call. He got back into a fighting stance with just one movable arm. The others followed suit.

The Blue Ranger breathed in and out quickly, at a noticeably heavier pace than the others. His pounding heart could be felt even at the tips of his ears. He screamed wildly and charged at South all alone with a blaster in hand.

"No! Wait!" cried the Yellow Ranger.

The Blue Ranger pointed his blaster forward, launching shot after shot on South.

South crossed his arms, defending his face against the blasts before launching his bladed staff straight through the Blue Ranger's heart.

The Blue Ranger reeled back, his body vigorously shaking as his Ranger form dematerialized in a quick flash of blue light. Blood trickled off his uniform, painting the floor below with splotches of red. He collapsed upon the ground with a stiff thud, quickly succumbing to his wound.

The Pink and Green Ranger started to shiver inside their suits. They slowly backed off while the Yellow Ranger held his ground.

The lieutenants could sense it, could feel it, could practically taste it. A light giggle escaped their mouths.

The trio of Rangers shook away their fearful quivering and charged forward. The lieutenants used their stiff arms to block their barrage of punches and kicks, each blow more sloppily executed than the last.

All the while, Axis' eyes keenly observed the confrontation. "Lieutenants, their bodies grow wearier by the second. Hold your ground, find their pattern, and counter attack."

The Pink Ranger came recklessly charging into the pair.

Lieutenant South closely observed the movement of her legs and recognizing a familiar buildup. A careless, desperate attempt at a haymaker punch quickly followed South's prediction. He smirked while he slapped the fist to the side.

Then, the second lieutenant grabbed the Pink Ranger's helmet and smashed it against his knee, breaking off a chunk of her visor. He followed up by kicking the charging Green Ranger to the ground; the force cracking the bones in the Ranger's leg.

The Yellow Ranger got in behind Axis while he observed the fight. But Axis quickly pulled out a tiny silver blaster from behind his back and shot the Ranger through his sternum.

"Close. So very close." Axis then riddled his frame with electricity, the Ranger's form burning under the sweltering scorch of the white lightning.

He demorphed in a quick flash of yellow light before the lieutenants grabbed his arms and tossed him over the side of the balcony.

Axis carefully approached the remaining two Rangers, both struggling to lift themselves back up. "You believe this to be pain…? Oh no. No no. This is quick. This is merciful. Compared to what I've needed to endure for years, this is bliss."

The Pink Ranger jumped back to her feet and ran at Axis, but South launched his bladed staff into the exposed face of the Ranger, piercing through to her skull as Axis turned his face away with a slight grimace. She quickly fell down as blood poured out of her smashed visor. She demorphed inside a quick fizzle of pink light as the life disappeared from her body.

Only the downed Kato and his one good leg remained. He tried to sneakily crawl away, only to be stabbed in the back by South's staff. He bawled out in pain as a deep red pool radiated from his person; a quick flash of green light signifying his wavering struggle.

Axis walked up to Kato, taking care to avoid his deepening streams of blood. "I must commend you for coming this far. You are the last of your kind. The final flicker of a dying flame. Hmm, my overzealous lieutenants seem to have damaged the others, but perhaps I'll hang onto that leaf colored Morpher of yours. It's been quite the nuisance for the last few years. Perhaps a bit of fun to be had in taking it apart and finding out why."

With what remained of his strength, Kato unlatched the Green Morpher from his wrist and threw it down the open corridor. It bounced and clacked as it descended down a nearby set of stairs. He stared upon the empty corridor with a slight smirk, the best he could muster as blood dripped down his chin. "O-Over… my… d… dead… body!"

Axis rolled his eyes before shaking his head. "A brilliant choice of words. I'll grant you that much. Lieutenant, if you wouldn't mind."

South plunged his bladed staff inside Kato's back again. He twisted and grinded his innards while the second lieutenant got in a closer look.

Axis sighed and averted his gaze as both lieutenant's watched Kato's shrieking mouth take in its final breath.

The General then stepped over the blasted balcony doors and entered the corridor, peering to the left and the right of him. Empty halls, still. "Keep the ship ready." He proceeded down the stairs. "I won't be long."

Deeper inside the palace halls, the pair of guards led Jason away. With a subtle smile, Jason started gradually slowing his pace.

The guards didn't seem to notice.

He then quickly turned around and started running.

They noticed and gave chase.

"Get back here at once!" cried one guard.

"Your mother has commanded it!" shouted the other.

Jason kept dashing away faster than the heavily armored guards could run. "Sorry guys! There's no way I'm gonna miss this. I've never gotten a chance to see the Chronic Storm Rangers fighting! It'll be like the Ranger archives, but in live action, haha, I can't wait!"

As Jason ran down the halls, he began hearing faint sounds coming from a nearby set of dimly lit stairs. He made his way up the staircase before a light shriek gently echoed from higher up. And just as soon, every sound stopped. "Whoa… that sounded like a guy crying out, but now… nothing…"

He could feel his heart tightening in his chest as each upward step came slower than the last. His legs began to wobble and weigh him down, but he forced them to keep moving.

Suddenly, a soft clacking sound grew louder and louder, bouncing off the walls. Jason froze in place while his head and eyes swung around. Then, he saw the Green Morpher rattling down the stairs.

He held his hand out, as if by instinct, and the Morpher bounced up to meet his grasp. With one look, his mouth sprung open while he mumbled random sounds through his quivering lips. "T-T-This… is… what!? How!? What!?"

His surprised cry alerted the descending Axis. _Have we been made? Perhaps the Queen had backup Rangers on stand by?_

He picked up his downward pace before noticing Jason staring longingly at the Morpher, bringing it closer to him as if preparing for steamy romance while a dopey smile stretched across his face.

Axis' worries left him as he slowly approached Jason. "Ah, just the Queen's successor."

Jason jumped back as Axis stepped closer to him.

"Fortune smiles favorably upon my quest this day. You're much smaller than my intel would suggest."

"Y-You're… G-General Axis!"

"Indeed I am. That device you have there, it doesn't belong to you."

Jason took a few careful steps back, nearly losing his footing on the back set of stairs. "D-Doesn't belong to you either!"

"Heh, perhaps." He powered up his electrical glove, the sparks lighting up the staircase. "However, I very much doubt your argument will hold against mine."

Jason quite literally had his back against the wall as Axis patiently stalked him. He started to breathe in and out as he turned his gaze to the Green Morpher. Without another thought, he slapped the Morpher on his wrist and started walking towards Axis with a forced half smirk. "Heh, cute light show, but you're not getting away with this, evil doer."

Axis stopped walking and lightly chuckled. "Very well then. The first move is yours. But do be mindful of my rather tight schedule while you 'administer justice,' or whatever it is you Earthers call it."

"Uhh…" Jason struggled to think up his next words. "Okay! Axis, I'm gonna toss your salad!"

Both his eyebrows rose up. "Meaning what, exactly…?"

"Uhh, nevermind!" Jason's sweaty fingers pressed a series of unresponsive button commands. "Crap! Carter told me this once! What was the call out?"

"Hehe, technical difficulties?"

"Trying to focus here!" Jason then pressed the center button. The Morpher started to glow a green hue. "Uhh… Okay okay, I got it! Chronic Storm, Ranger form!"

A blinding flash of green light wrapped around Jason's body. He closed his eyes tightly as a rush of power seeped into his veins, morphing him into the Green Chronic Storm Ranger. The light faded and Jason opened his eyes while surrounded by a series of green colored data outputs from his new heads up display. He rapidly pressed his hands all over his new green and black uniform and his shiny helmet while he struggled to take consistent breaths. "I-I'm… a R-Ranger…? I'm a Power Ranger! This is awesome! This is—"

Jason quickly looked back at Axis who was covering his laughter with his hands.

"Alright, keep it cool, Jason. Act like you've been there before. Ahem!" Jason pointed directly at him. "Axis, prepare to face the might of the protectors of the universe!"

Axis continued to chuckle. "Did the suit make your voice deeper, or is that just part of your act?"

"Stop mocking me!" Jason noticed the red colored blaster strapped to his waist. He tried to force it out of its holster, but the weapon refused to budge.

Axis shook his head. "Pitiful fool."

"Dammit…! Screw it, let's do this the old-fashioned way!" Jason ran at Axis with a full head a steam. _Nowhere for him to run in this tight staircase. I've got'em!_

Axis sighed before dodging Jason's reckless charge and quickly getting in behind him. He struck his backside with a quick jab, following that up with a kick to the back of the head.

Jason's body slammed against the staircase, forcing him out of Ranger mode and leaving his frame sprawled helplessly upon the steps.

Axis reached over to collect the Morpher, but then stopped. As he stared at Jason's unconscious body, his smirk left his face, replaced with a look of confusion. "This boy… he stood up to me knowing it would cost him his life. This child of privilege and royalty, who has neither seen nor known struggle… who is he, really?"

Just as soon, Lieutenant South ventured down the stairs. "My General! We have run out of time… Who's the boy?"

Axis gently nodded at South before looking back to Jason. "A good question, Lieutenant."

"Shall we finish him?"

Axis turned around and walked up the stairs past Jason. "We shall leave him be for the time being, if only to satiate my curiosity… What will he do now, I wonder?"

With the unconscious Queen Diane in tow, the Triforian trio made it back into their ship.

Alerts now stared blaring at every corner of the palace. Blaster totting guards started to flood out of the broken down balcony doors and fire upon the Triforian ship.

The black insides rattled and shook as South made it to the tight cockpit, quickly pressed a series of buttons, and initiated launch. With thrusters activated, the ship re-cloaked itself and vanished from view.

The Triforians quickly broke Earth's atmosphere and flew towards the waning moon. Before long, they entered the hull of a much larger, much darker, much more intimidating ship; its finer details hidden under the cover of the dark side of the moon.

Axis' return was met by several of his Triforian warriors lining red-tinted hallways, all equally as towering as his lieutenants, but all fitted with brown armor, the more common variety.

As the General walked down the hall, his warriors firmly positioned their closed fists just above their hearts. Their stiff hands shook ever so slightly upon seeing the Queen in custody while their heated gazes closely followed her every step. A few warriors saw their blasters trembling in their hands. One started to lift up the weapon with a gentle snarl as the Queen made her pass of him.

Axis turned with a sharp glare, quickly snapping him back into formation. He looked all around the hall, sensing the uniformity of their hatred. "I know, my brothers. Trust me, I know. I'd love nothing more than to set the whole lot of you loose on her. You've more than earned it. But, I must ask you to be patient for just a little longer."

"Yes, My General!" cried the lines of warriors.

Axis reached up to place his hand on South's shoulder. "Make sure the Queen is uncomfortable in her new cell. And inform the rest of the crew that we'll return home soon with the prize in tow. And Lieutenant South…"

"Yes, My General?"

"Do remind me to be extra snarky when those feeble minded dogs of the Resistance beg for my resignation again."

"Hmph, I surely will, My General. In my humble estimation, your position as Resistance leader is quite secure now."

"Yes…" Axis stopped, his mind lost in a thought. "A tenure we hope ends with me, and ends soon."


	4. Chapter 3: Team

**Chapter 3: Team**

The news of Diane's capture quickly spread like ripples over a pond. The Queen of the known universe, often deemed untouchable, unbreakable, now a prisoner of war. In anticipation of panicked streets, guards, officers, and specialized military forces were called in to preserve the order in Neo Angles while politicians and ambassadors scrambled to come up with a cover story: There was no need to be alarmed, they claimed. It was all part of the Queen's latest plan to end the Resistance. The people quickly bought in. Any and all panic subsided.

Underneath the palace grounds, a white and silver colored laboratory rested, home to some of the Queen's latest projects and advancements. Computer screens and holographic projectors lined the walls while scientists wearing dark green lab coats ran chemical experiments and analyzed various intergalactic weapons. However, the lab had a second function on this day: nursing the unconscious prince back to health.

Jason laid sprawled upon a white-sheeted bed in the corner of the lab, his eyes just now starting to wriggle. He slowly opened them to the sting of bright white lights overhead and the sound of whirling machines and beeping computer consoles.

He'd spent a great deal of his formative years surrounded by these sights and sounds. It didn't take him long to figure out where he had ended up. He forcibly propped up his body and let off a relieved smile at the sight of the crazy, curly white hair that belonged to the chief of the Queen's research division: Professor Rowan N. Knox.

"Ah, Jason! Thank goodness you're alright." Knox tossed a touchpad to the side and ran to his bed. His typical whimsy was swiftly replaced with a concerned face. "You could have been killed out there! What were you thinking?"

Jason started to speak before a throbbing, pulsating pain in his head cut him off. He held tightly to his forehead while he winced from the relentless pounding. "Ughh… My mother… where… where is she?"

"Captured," said a voice from behind him.

Jason's heart skipped a beat before he looked behind him.

Carter sat on the adjacent bed with a bowed head and a somber expression. "My team and I… we failed… General Axis has her now. It's a miracle you survived your run in with him. He's as heartless as they come. What's worse, the Ranger Academy was also destroyed."

Jason's body quivered as his slowly returning senses were forced to engage a novel feeling of hollow helplessness. His mother had a plan for everything. His mother had a wall erected against any possible threat. His mother was indestructible. How could this have happened? He tried to push his confused thoughts into words, but his open mouth remained silent.

"Jason, listen to me," said Carter.

His words snapped Jason out of his internal musings. He slowly turned to face Carter.

"We need to save the Queen, but I can't do it alone. I'm going to need your help."

Jason's eyes widened. "Y-You need _my_ help…!? But, you're a Power Ranger, and I'm… well… not."

Carter pointed down at Jason's wrist. "That Morpher you're wearing tells a different story."

Jason's latest memory gushed into his mind. He couldn't picture it clearly, yet the sound of incessant laughter sung inside his head; a chorus of deserved mockery. He stared at the Green Morpher still strapped firmly to his wrist. It seemed so light, but moving his arm up, it felt deceptively heavy.

"Carter, you can't be serious!" Knox raised his pointer finger to the sky emphatically. "I've known the boy all his life and I cannot allow you to put him through that level of danger!"

Suddenly, Jason clenched his fists and leapt off the bed. He gritted his teeth while a surge of pain radiated up and down his back. "I'll… do whatever it takes to stop General Axis! And I promise that I'll be the Ranger you need." Jason looked to Knox. "Sorry, Professor. I know you're looking out for me, but this is something I just have to do. Mother's done nothing but protect me, protect everyone. With this Morpher, I can finally do the same."

Carter nodded. "Good to hear. You know what that means, Professor."

Knox sighed and reacquired his touchpad. With a few quick screen taps, he pulled up a holographic projection of what looked like a metal ring. "My time warp device still needs some fine-tuning, but time is something we're short on. With no Ranger Academy to call upon, we don't have much of a choice."

"Time warp?" Jason asked with raised brows. "Wait, are you saying that machine you've spent years pining over is finally functional?"

"Correct! Er, mostly functional. And it's as good a time as any to use it for Carter's contingency plan." Knox speedily walked to his desk and pulled out four different colored file drives from underneath it.

Carter grabbed the green colored file drive from out of Knox' hand. "We don't need that one anymore. We have him now."

Knox stared concernedly at Carter, but eventually sighed with a reluctant nod.

"What's with the files drives?" asked Jason.

Carter grabbed hold of the Yellow drive and observed it carefully. "The mission we need to go on now, it'll take more than just the two of us. So we're going to put together a team of Rangers that will be ready for what lies ahead. Professor Knox and I knew that one day, the Ranger Academy might become compromised. This is what Chronic Storm must now become to save the Queen, and the universe."

Jason shook his head with a perplexed look. "Wait, we've got us. I don't see why we need more Rangers. We should be saving my mother now, _before_ General Axis gets too far, not sifting through resumes!"

"Calm down Jason," Carter said. "What you don't understand is—"

"You're a Power Ranger; one of the best ever. I've been watching the Ranger archives for years. You're all unstoppable. You always win. Sure, I'm a little rough around the edges, but with this power, we can beat him! Just like you beat Queen Bansheera, right?"

Carter's mouth held open, pausing for a second before continuing, "'We always win'… I wish that were true… My team and I would have won today and the both of us wouldn't be recovering here… I lost them all… again… And they were just as much Ranger as me… Axis isn't like anyone or anything I've faced before, trust me on that. And even if we was, if we go into this as we are, we'll lose to him."

A few moments of silence hung over the room. Jason could feel Carter's burden, sense the emotions masked under his stoic delivery, but still shook his head slightly. Real Rangers don't lose, not ever. His team must have been new. His team must have been holding him back. They couldn't have been anything like the legends he idolized. If his team had just trained a little longer, just pushed themselves a little harder… It was all starting to add up, if only in Jason's mind. But undeniable still: Jason was every bit the Ranger forgery he assumed Carter's old team to be. The endless jeering of Axis running laps inside his head, a scorching reminder. What were his words to that of a real hero? He resigned himself to the plan with a sullen nod of his head.

Knox broke the silence with a quick clap of his hands. "Well then, boys. I think one thing's for sure. It's high time we stopped _wasting_ time and assembled that team!"

"Good idea." Carter looked back at Jason. "Jason, if you're going to wear the Green, you'll need to help me recruit a few veteran Rangers."

Jason's eyes widened as a sudden, subtle smile leaked out. "You mean, I get to meet Ranger icons!? Where do we start?"

"We'll need a strong all-around team. A couple guys and girls that are good in a fight won't be enough for this mission. We'll need Rangers with sharp minds who can think on their feet too." Carter turned to Knox. "Okay Professor, setup the time travel coordinates for our Yellow Ranger candidate."

"Right away!" Knox quickly walked to a giant silver console filled to the brim with buttons, levers, and a large holographic screen in the center. He pressed a series of buttons, causing the room to rumble slightly. The back wall of the lab began to split in two, revealing the ring-shaped time travel apparatus. Its dark-silver internal gears started to shift and click as tiny sparks of blue electricity bounced around inside. As the electric field encompassed the apparatus, a twisting portal became visible, swirling and sparkling with bright blue and white hues.

"It works! Hahaha, it works!" exclaimed Knox.

"I had a feeling it would," replied Carter.

Jason slowly, cautiously, stepped towards the swirling mix of light. "Wait, where exactly are we going?"

Carter walked up alongside him. "I'm guessing you've heard of a city called Corinth?"

"Pssh, yeah, who hasn't…? Well, most people, actually. But the RPM Rangers there exist in another dimension, if I recall correctly."

Knox grinned confidently. "Not to worry! The necessary adjustments have already been made to compensate, thanks to yours truly. The portal should land you both right outside the city limits. Oh, and added bonus: your Morphers are already linked up to the device, so making the return trip is as easy as the push of a button."

"Thanks, Professor." Carter looked to Jason. "Ready?"

Jason took a deep breath and nodded more assuredly.

The pair slowly stepped into the portal.

Jason turned his head towards the waving Professor. He waved back at Knox while his hand seemed to fizzle away, ensnared by the swirling light of time. Jason closed his eyes and clenched his body as all at once, the bright colors vanished.

Within moments, the pair traversed a few centuries into the past. Jason opened his tightly shut eyes and gazed upon the city of Corinth; now a sprawling, silver-tinted metropolis surrounded by grassy plains and thin forests. He took a good look around, amazed at the lush vegetation. Everything he had watched through the archives painted a grimmer, more barren picture of a city once notable for its protective dome and tarnished outskirts. Importantly, Knox had sent them about a year past when the RPM Rangers were most active, ensuring that they wouldn't run into any threats while recruiting.

Carter was taking it all in as well, looking over the gushing green backdrop with a small smile. While considerably less captivated by the concept of time travel these days, he always found himself amazed by the results. "We're here… Even now, it's still pretty incredible. Time travel was just a pipe dream where I'm from and now, this."

"For sure. Would you like to hear about the physics behind it? Knox got me interested, so I looked into it. It's actually way simpler than you might have been led to believe. First, we have—"

"Another time, maybe. We don't have much of that to spare. We have to stay focused and find Summer Landsdown."

"Summer, got it… She's a great pick. Real solid pick, y'know. Can't really go wrong… But, if I could make a suggestion…"

Carter turned to Jason with a curious look.

"I'm just saying: Taylor from Wild Force." Jason gazed fiercely up into the sky as his voice intensified. "She's as tough as they come! She led the Wild Force Rangers too for a year before Cole took over. She could probably take down Axis by herself, no lie."

Carter let out a small laugh. "Summer has all the tools and experience of a truly remarkable Ranger; the kind of Ranger that could easily fit into any team and improve it overnight. Heh, but you make a strong case. In all my time leading Chronic Storm, I never got the chance to learn as much as I'd like about the full legacy of power. All my teammates knew more than me, and you might know more than all of them. So maybe next time, you can pick the team."

Jason felt his heart stop cold for a split second. "No way! Really!?"

"All you have to do is lead Chronic Storm."

Jason's heart sank just as soon. "O-Oh… right…"

Carter patted him on the back. "Maybe someday."

The pair arrived at the sturdy metal gates of Corinth, an entrance that towered above them both with at least a dozen armed soldiers patrolling the border. The front gate slowly clunked open in front of them, revealing an open city plaza with small, beige buildings in front of them. Two large, silver skyscrapers graced the center of the city much with a tree-filled park area dividing the two areas.

But just as the pair took their first few steps, a soldier motioned them to stop. The relatively plain looking man carried with him a scanning wand covered in yellow and black stripes. As he motioned it over Jason, the device rapidly beeped. "Excuse me gentlemen, but the censors have dinged you. I'll need to see whatever you have on your person."

"Of course, sir," Carter replied. "Not an issue."

"What's going on?" asked Jason worriedly.

"Probably nothing. It's just their job to make sure of that. Venjix was just a year ago from where they're standing. He was one of the handful of Ranger villains I got to learn about, so I don't blame them for being too careful."

The soldier inspected Jason's Morpher with tight eyes. "Hey, what exactly is this?" He waved some other soldiers towards him while he poked at the Morpher.

"Uhh, sir, I wouldn't touch—"

The Morpher reacted negatively to being fiddled with, launching a minor but piercing sound wave. The soldier covered his ears and took a few steps back once hit by the sudden blaring. In response, an alarm sounded to alert the city of potential threats while the other soldiers took out their blasters and quickly surrounded the pair.

Jason and Carter slowly lifted their arms up.

"Heck of an entrance," said Carter.

Before too long, the fully morphed RPM Power Rangers arrived on the scene. All were present except the Silver and Gold Ranger, who were presumably occupied elsewhere. The Red, Yellow, Blue, Black, and Green Ranger all fell in line as the soldiers nodded towards them before backing off to help remove civilians from the open area.

Scott, the RPM Red Ranger, approached the pair. "Stand down, now!"

"Scott Truman," Carter said. "There's been a misunderstanding. I know about all of the heroic things you and your team have done. And even though we come from different eras, even different dimensions, we are all Power Rangers. Currently, I go by Carter Grayson, Chronic Storm Red Ranger 1."

"Oh!" Jason raised his hand with a slight bounce in his step. "And I'm Green Ranger…?"

"5."

"5! Green Ranger 5. Right. Thanks."

Ziggy, the RPM Green Ranger, walked up to the pair. "Okay, wait wait wait. So you guys are also Power Rangers?!" His slightly high-pitched voice lightened the mood as he turned back to his team with hands raised in the air. "How lucky are we!? For a second there we all thought Venjix might have returned, hehe… He can't return… right…? Anyone…?"

"Ziggy, relax," stated Dillon, the RPM Black Ranger, with a quiet firmness to his tone. "We don't know for sure if these guys aren't just some left over experiments from when Venjix imprisoned me and my sister."

Carter unstrapped his Morpher and slid it towards the feet of the RPM Rangers. "I know that you don't really have a reason to trust my words, but I can promise you we're here in _this_ time because we need to stop a great threat. You guys can certainly relate to that."

Carter motioned to Jason to slide over his Morpher.

Jason quickly nodded and followed along with Carter's actions.

"Alright laddies," said Flynn, the RPM Blue Ranger, who sported a Scottish accent. "Supposing that you _are_ telling the truth, why exactly are you here in Corinth?"

"And what do you mean by 'in _this_ time'?" asked Summer, the RPM Yellow Ranger.

Carter nodded. "If given the chance, we can explain everything."

"Rangers, he's telling you the truth." A short, young woman with black hair and a white lab coat entered the scene with a quick pace to her steps and notable paleness in her face. Carter and Jason both recognized her immediately as Doctor K.

"He's Carter Grayson," said Doctor K while her face remained buried inside the screen of a laptop. "He's also the former Lightspeed Rescue Red Ranger, the team that once saved Mariner Bay. I studied all the research done by your Aquabase when I started Project Ranger. It was somewhat derivative and very lacking in cited sources, but a good start."

"Uhh, thanks…?" replied Carter.

"HA! You see?!" Ziggy added. "I knew it, I knew it all along. More Rangers!"

Scott nodded. "Alright guys, power down."

The RPM Rangers pushed a button on the center of their belts and returned to their civilian forms.

Scott bent down to pick up Carter and Jason's Morphers. He walked over to the pair and handed them back. "I believe these are yours. Sounds like you'll be needing them for whoever you're looking to take down."

"Yeah!" Ziggy added. "And the RPM Rangers will have your back… uhh… whenever it is that you come from."

Ziggy's unfiltered enthusiasm drew looks of concern from the rest of the team. He looked around at the blank expressions. "We will have their backs… won't we? We're still the good guys, right…?"

Doctor K shook her head while closing her laptop. "Based on the lack of mirrored enthusiasm from Carter, I doubt it will be that simple."

"Unfortunately, you're right, Doctor," Carter replied. "Our mission is to stop an evil space General known as Axis. In our time, 2990 to be exact, he has captured our Queen and threatens to end the peace she fought for years to establish. I was brought to the future five years prior, when the universal monarchy was officially recognized." Carter's tone took a somber dip as he explained the details. "I was supposed to help stop this from ever happening… but I failed."

Ziggy nodded repeatedly, pretending to understand. "Alright, that's all good and… well, horrible actually, but okay. We can help you put the bad guy back in his box."

"I appreciate your offer, but because of the weak state of the Morphing Grid, we have certain limitations on how we can use Ranger power in our time. We came here to recruit only one of you for this mission based on what we thought were exemplary qualities and abilities."

Ziggy smirked and walked up to Cater while running his hands through his bushy brown hair. "Wellll okaaaay. Since you flattered me and all that I guess I can join your super time traveling super team."

Jason turned to him with a raised brow. "You realize you said super twice, right?"

"You bet I did."

"I'm sorry, Ziggy." Carter looked to Summer. "But we came here to recruit Summer Landsdown."

"Me?!" asked Summer.

"Her…?" asked Ziggy, somewhat disappointedly.

Carter nodded. "In our time, the Morphing Grid is more sensitive to multiple Rangers being in power at the same time. I wish there was more that could be done."

All the while, Doctor K's eyes subtly moved side to side while her head remained static. And then, she suddenly returned to the conversation, "I may be able to assist you with your minor Morphing Grid limitation."

"Thank you, Doctor," Carter replied as he took to his Morpher and pushed a button. "I'm transferring you what we have on the state of the Grid as well as all of Professor Knox' notes. See if you can make heads or tails of it because I sure can't." Carter turned back to Summer. "So, Summer, do you think you'd be able to come help us save the future?"

Summer wore a wide-eyed expression as words failed to escape her throat. She turned to Dillon, his subtle scowl painting a clear portrait.

"It's your call, Summer," Dillon said. "Whatever you choose… we'll all stand by you."

The other RPM Rangers nodded in support of Dillon's stance.

All eyes were focused on Summer. She took a deep breath before cutting through the silence, "Things around here are just starting to feel normal again, maybe better. Even my parents aren't as stuck up as they used to be. I don't know if I can just leave all of this behind for another Ranger mission that I don't know much about. There's just… a lot that's keeping me here right now. I'm sorry, Carter. But I can't. I loved being a Ranger, and I still do. But I'm not ready for another mission… I'm sorry."

Jason's mouth hung open. Never could he have conceived of a Ranger turning down the chance, no, the responsibility to save the universe. Perhaps, he thought, he missed something when watching the RPM archives for the fifth time.

Carter slowly, forcibly, nodded his head. "We understand, Summer. Thank you, RPM Rangers, for hearing us out. And thank _you_ , Doctor K, for agreeing to help us out with the Morphing Grid."

"As soon as it's done, I'll contact you," Doctor K replied. "Look for the heavily encrypted message for instructions on how to proceed."

"Will do." Carter turned around to leave and motioned to Jason to do the same.

Jason shook his head in disappointment before following him out of the city.

The tall front gates closed behind them, leaving the pair no closer to a full team than when they started. While Carter took to his Morpher to calibrate a return trip, Jason paced back and forth behind him, his mind still racing to connect the dots of their failure.

"I can't believe this!" Jason finally cried out. "She's supposed to be a hero! Why would she say no!?"

Carter let out a heavy sigh. "It can't be helped. We can't force anyone out of their homes just to fight for a cause that has nothing to do with them. It's not a great start, but for now, we have to move on."

"We should go back there and explain ourselves again. Maybe we can sway her by taking a different angle."

"Maybe…" Carter's eyes lit up. He took to his Morpher and started recalibrating the time portal. "Or, we can try your plan."

"My plan…?" Jason's eyes now lit up as a smile spread across his face. "Oh! Taylor! Yes!"

Carter chuckled. "I don't know anything about her myself, or her team. Think we can sway _her_?"

Jason thought back to what he could recall about Taylor's Ranger days. His smile quickly escaped him. "Uhh… maybe you should do the talking… Taylor, well… She's great and all, but let's just say she's got a lot more in common with my mother than with Summer."

Carter nodded before inputting the temporal data for the year 2003. "Taylor it is."

The air started to thin in front of the pair before the snap and crackle of the blue and white hues began to expand to full portal size. They entered and vanished from view, the dancing, swirling colors collapsing upon themselves as they left the city of Corinth behind.


	5. Chapter 4: Eagle

**Chapter 4: Eagle**

Carter and Jason were whisked away to the year 2003 inside the blinding light of the time vortex as the Corinth backdrop behind them vanished completely. Once more, they chose a period approximately one year removed from when the Wild Force Rangers were active. When the lights faded, they touched ground upon a medium sized city adjacent to a large cove in the shape of a turtle; a feature that granted it the fitting name of Turtle Cove.

Once the full scene surrounded them, the pair found themselves in front of an Air Force base, arriving just as a trio of navy blue fighter planes jetted off with their engines coating the skyline in a roaring, thunderous sound.

Jason pointed to the front gate and Carter nodded. Somewhere beyond the chain linked, barbed wire fence surrounding the deep gray facilities, the pair would find Taylor Earhardt; the former Yellow Wild Force Ranger who returned to her life as an Air Force pilot once the Ranger mission was complete.

As Carter approached the gatekeeper booth, he noticed the lines of Air Force pilots running in tight formations across the grounds. He took in the loud, snarling orders from the commanding officers pushing the future pilots, audible from even beyond the gate. It took him back to his own Firefighter training all those years ago. The structure, the order, the discipline, it put his mind at ease before he arrived at the booth.

"Excuse us, sir. We'd like to speak with Taylor…" Carter looked to Jason.

"Earhardt," replied Jason.

"Right. Taylor Earhardt, please."

The guard never took his disinterested gaze away from the newspaper he read. "Authorized personnel only."

"I understand, sir," Carter replied. "But if we could just have five minutes of—"

"Authorized personnel only." His statement was firmer.

"I get that, sir, but the situation is critical. Give me the chance to explain and I—"

"Authorized. Personnel. Only." The guard finally glared at the pair before flipping the page on his paper.

Carter sighed. "Chronic Storm, Ranger form!" He activated his Morpher and transformed into the Red Chronic Storm Ranger.

"Jiminy Christmas!" The guard nearly fell out of his seat upon being blinded by the flash of red light. His papers were sent hurdling into the air, scattering about inside his booth as he scrambled to collect his radio from underneath his messy desk. "Intruders on the premises! Requesting back up at the north gate! I repeat, intruders on the premises!"

Sirens started blaring all throughout the Air Force base as guards and pilots alike quickly ran to the area from either side of the fence.

Jason swung his head back and forth with a panic in his eyes. "W-Wait, we're morphing now!? Shoot, okay okay. Chronic Storm, Ranger form!" He morphed into the Green Ranger. "Are we fighting our way in?"

"Not quite." Carter placed his hands behind his head.

"Huh…? Are we… getting arrested…?"

"For now, yes."

Jason's head dropped. "Aw man… Mother's never gonna let me hear the end of this…"

The pair had their Morphers confiscated and were locked up inside an interrogation room near the center of the base. The room was illuminated by only a single rounded bulb on the ceiling, the light flashing against the stiff silver desk they were handcuffed to. For what felt like hours, they waited inside to the drum of footsteps clomping just beyond the two-way mirror staring back at them. The steps faded in just as quickly as they faded out, none stopping at the door.

Then, a sudden click upon the door. The heavy-eyed Jason quickly picked up his sagging head as an older looking man entered the room. Carter's eyes were immediately drawn to the bevy of tiny medals and badges decorating his dark green uniform.

He removed his hat, revealing a waning set of thin white hairs accompanied by a thick white beard before gently placing the Chronic Storm Morphers on the desk. "Evening, gentlemen. My name is Major Yeager. I'll make this simple: What are these?"

Carter nodded. "Yes, sir. They're Morphers, sir."

"We're Power Rangers!" Jason added. "We're the good guys… just like you…?"

Yeager nodded with the slightest of grins, as if understanding. "The Power Rangers… Huh, haven't heard from you in… I'd say it's been eleven months. Why're you back? Are household appliances turning into hellspawn again?"

"Hopefully not, sir," Carter replied. "We're here on a mission, but we don't have a lot of time. So if it's alright with you sir, we'd like to speak to Taylor Earhardt."

Yeager started to giggle before letting out a few weak coughs. "Lieutenant Earhardt? What? Do you plan to recruit her? Fit her into one of those colorful, tight-fitting getups or yours?"

"Yes, sir."

Major Yeager was stricken by Carter's confident, direct delivery. He rubbed his chin as he thought back to around three years ago. Taylor went missing over the skies, only to return after the Power Rangers, and their enemies called the Orgs, were no longer deemed as active in Turtle Cove. He had his suspicions before, but it all seemed to line up now.

"You two sit tight." He got up from his seat and left the room.

Just as soon as Yeager walked out, he ran into Taylor herself hurriedly rushing toward the interrogation room. She still sported her long blonde hair, her sharp stare, and most notably, her uncompromisingly stiff demeanor. She stopped in front of Yeager and delivered a salute. "Major Yeager, sir. I was informed that there's a situation involving me."

"At ease, Lieutenant. And yes, there is. Something about the Power Rangers. Hmm, you wouldn't happen to know anything about them, would you?"

"Sir, no sir. All I know is that they disbanded, almost a year ago."

"Right around the time you re-enlisted. Isn't that right, Lieutenant?"

Taylor looked at him confused. "Sir…?"

Yeager chuckled. "Let's cut the crap, Lieutenant. You and your team saved all of us from that… thing, whatever it was. Our best birds couldn't even take off that night. All we could do was hang around the base twiddling our thumbs while we waited for the Power Rangers to pull off another miracle."

Taylor looked around the hallway and then sighed. "Sir… I didn't mean to lie to you, or anyone."

"You had to. I get it… This Ranger adventure of yours, is that why you haven't been yourself these last few months?"

Taylor looked back up at him. "I'm not sure what you mean, sir."

"Heh, well anyways, those fine gentlemen in there would like a word." Yeager gave Taylor a nod and walked away.

Taylor saluated to Yeager before gripping the interrogation room door knob. She hesitated to twist it open, her mind caught up in the Major's parting statement. She shook her head, casting the thoughts aside before she opened the door and walked into the room.

Jason couldn't help but smile excitedly as she stepped inside.

Taylor's gaze was immediately drawn towards the two Morphers lying upon the desk in front of her. She quickly opened the door again, her eyes scanning the hallways before closing it and making sure it was locked. She then pushed a button on the side of the door, ensuring that no one could hear them beyond the two-way mirror. "You're Power Rangers."

Carter nodded. "My name is Carter Grayson. This here is Jason. We needed to speak with you about a mission. To summarize everything, we come from the distant future, General Axis has taken our Queen hostage, we're Power Rangers Chronic Storm, and if we fail again… the universe as we know it will fail right alongside us."

"Carter Grayson…" Taylor paced around the room with a pensive face while she thought back to the familiar name. Then, her eyes lit up. "You're the one that recruited Cole that one time! I knew I recognized you."

Carter raised an eyebrow. "I recruited who?"

"I remember that one!" Jason added before looking back at Carter. "Serpentera, the Machine Empire, a bunch of Red Rangers… no?"

Carter subtly shook his head, his eyes revealing an enhanced level of confusion.

"Oh, I see. No spoilers then."

"What's this all about?" Taylor asked. "I know you're not Time Force, so how are you coming from the distant future?"

"Taylor Earhardt," Carter started. "We'd like you to join us on this mission. I know it's not your home, and I never thought it would be mine for so long, but it is Jason's, alongside trillions upon trillions of other innocent people. All of those people will suffer if we don't succeed. We're so close. The universe cannot be allowed to go back to centuries of endless wars. Preventing that is the whole reason I was brought to the future in the first place."

Taylor's unmoving scowl proved hard to read. It struck a delicate mix between alarmed and intrigued.

"If you free us, we can prove it," added Jason.

Taylor's eyes dipped down while she continued to pace back and forth. Then, she stopped and turned back to the pair, her expression unchanged. "Fine… _If_ you can prove that you can time travel, then you can count on my help. But, if you're wasting my time—"

"We won't be," Jason quickly interjected.

Taylor slowly nodded before undoing their handcuffs and returning their Morphers.

Carter latched his Morpher onto his wrist and pressed a series of button. "Taylor, I'll be honest. We're on our last legs here. This time travel stuff, it takes massive amounts of energy. We only have enough power for a few more trips. It's not overselling it to say that we need you."

After a few snaps and electric flickers, the time portal expanded to full size inside the room. Taylor's eyes widened enough to leap out of their sockets while she took in the swirling white and blue sight. Her mouth hung open as her feet became drawn towards the vortex. The mesmerized Taylor carefully stepped closer and closer. She slowly reached her arm inside the vortex before quickly pulling it back out and keenly observed her hand front to back. Nothing seemed out of place beyond the odd tingling sensation caught inside the tips of her fingers.

She took a deep breath and with one giant stride, stepped completely through the portal. In an instant, she found herself inside the laboratory of Professor Knox. She slowly spun around, her mouth once more stretched open as she took in all the advanced looking machines, the hovering robots just overhead, the holographic computers displaying all manner of data, and the swirling time vortex just behind her.

"W… Where… am I…?"

Professor Knox noticed her and came dashing over with a welcoming smile. "Ah, you must be Summer! I've heard such good things about you. I am Professor Knox. It's a pleasure to meet you in person." Knox shook her hand.

Taylor reeled back slightly, looking at him oddly.

Knox stared up and down and all around at Taylor while rubbing his chin. "You seem… taller… than what my data told me, hmm."

Taylor shook off her shock and regained her focus. "I'm almost afraid to ask, but… what year is this?"

"A perfectly normal question, given your unusual circumstances, hehe. The current year is 2990. A far cry from your time."

Taylor's eyes jumped back to Knox. "1000 years!?"

"Close enough!"

"And… we're on Earth…?"

"Well, last I checked, hehe."

Taylor shook her head while trying to sort through the swell of ideas battling for space inside her mind.

Jason and Carter then appeared from out of the time portal before it closed behind them.

"You sure you're ready for this?" Carter asked. "It doesn't get any less shocking from here, trust me."

Taylor slowly composed herself once more and walked up to the pair with a strong, assured look about her. "All of this… it's real?"

Carter nodded. "It is. But unfortunately, so is the threat. Will you help us stop General Axis?"

Taylor took another deep breath before nodding. "I said I'd help, so I will. Count me in."

"Yes!" cried Jason.

Taylor looked to him while Jason awkwardly smiled back at her. "Why are we bringing a kid along?"

"Uhh, technically, I'm 24, sooo…"

"Jason's a Ranger-in-training." said Carter.

Taylor moved in closer to Jason and carefully inspected him up and down while Jason quickly stood at attention. Jason looked up to her hoping for some semblance of approval, but all he got was an intense stare. "What you've described doesn't sound like a mission for rookies."

Knox nodded twice. "A concern I've adamantly expressed. Thank you, Summer."

Taylor looked at him with a raised brow. "Why do you keep calling me Summer?"

Knox' eyes widened. "Oh… Is that… not your preferred name…?"

"It's none of my names."

"Professor." Jason walked over to Knox. "We couldn't get Summer. This is Taylor, a different Yellow Ranger."

Knox looked back at her, back to Jason, and then back to her again. "Oooohhh! With the blonde hair and—"

"Yeah, I get it," Jason replied. "Easy mistake to make. No big thing."

Taylor rolled her eyes and looked to Carter. "You're our leader on this mission, correct?"

"That's correct."

"Good. So what's next?"

"We have two more Rangers to recruit."

"If I may," added Knox. "We'll save what energy we have remaining by not having to reboot after one trip. If you divide and conquer, we'll save time and resources."

"Good thinking, Professor." Carter turned to Taylor. "In that case, Taylor, you're with me. We'll need to go to the year 2005 to recruit one of history's most brilliant Rangers: Ethan James of Dino Thunder."

Taylor looked at Jason before glaring back at Carter with concerned eyes. "The kid's going alone?"

"Still 24… Also, what?!"

Carter nodded. "Jason, I'm counting on you to handle this last recruit solo. You'll need to go back to the year 2000 and find Kendrix Morgan. I've had the honor of meeting her personally, so if you mention me, it should be a little easier for her to believe you."

Jason felt his heart pick up speed, thudding inside him again and again, as if trying to punch its way out of his chest. The solo mission didn't rile him up nearly as much as the name. Kendrix Morgan. THE Kendrix Morgan. He felt the perspiration racing down his face just thinking about her. And it was far from the first time he's had such thoughts. He knew all about the legacy of power, watched the stories and battles of every Ranger team he could find. But, something about her always struck a more powerful chord. His first true test would be a fitting one: avoiding the urge to fanboy.

Knox walked over to his large console and prepared the temporal vortex for another voyage. A few buttons, a few adjustments. "Temporal coordinates set! Activating portal now."

The portal revved up once more, the familiar hues dancing inside the metallic ring as Carter and Taylor walked up to meet it.

"Wait!" Jason held them up. "Carter… I don't know about this."

"That makes two of us." added Taylor.

Carter faintly smiled as he walked up to Jason. "Jason, you are a Ranger now. And as far as I'm concerned, you're also an invaluable part of this team. What happened to that fighting spirit you had before?"

"But… I just…" Jason's head dipped down. "I'm scared of not knowing what to do… I'm no Ranger legend. I just picked up this Morpher off the ground. I didn't—"

"Every Ranger had to want to do this, even the ones chosen. Every Ranger had to 'pick it up,' even me. You could have run away from Axis. I could have turned down Captain Mitchell. We didn't. Every legend starts somewhere. Make this the start of yours."

Jason took in Carter's words with a deep breath. His shaking fists started to tighten before he nodded firmly. "Okay… I'll do it."

Carter lightly grinned. "That's more like it."

"Now remember," Knox added. "We'll likely only have enough power for the two trips that you'll be taking now. If something goes amiss, there will be no second chances I'm afraid."

"All the more reason to not fail." Carter walked towards the time vortex with Taylor following. In an instant they vanished and the portal closed.

Professor Knox quickly entered in the new temporal coordinates. "Alright then… a few recalibrations here, a few adjustments there aaaand, yes! We are ready to send you back to the year 2000. With some fancy planetary tracking work by yours truly, we should have you right on the surface of Mirinoi."

The time vortex came to life once more, the colors crackling and sparking as they jumped around inside the containment ring.

Jason took one more deep breath while taking a hard look at his Morpher. Somehow, it felt just bit heavier now. But still he walked, and then ran, into the time vortex; his form quickly vanishing inside the light.


	6. Chapter 5: Pink

**Chapter 5: Pink**

The bright flash of light dissipated after transporting Jason 990 odd years into the past. He opened his eyes and found himself among the lush and dense green forests of Mirinoi; a planet that, in this time, had only recently been colonized by the human space station known as Terra Venture. Trees and forests cascaded the lands as far as he could see. The afternoon sun shone brightly over a pair of green hills to his backside. He could hear the light gushing of river water somewhere behind the thick string of beige branches rustling in the wind.

Jason took in the pristine sights all around him before his eyes fixed upon a series of dark blue towers in the distance. He ran towards them before reaching a brown, beaten path that led straight to the city. His jaw dropped as the thick trees were parted on the path. He had seen it second hand hundreds of times. But to experience Terra Venture. He hadn't the proper words.

"Wow…! This is really Mirinoi, and Terra Venture…! All those years of begging mother to take me and all I really needed was a time machine. Figures."

Jason quickly shook his head, relieving him of his trance, before running towards the city. He could feel it within the first few steps. Terra Venture was close, but the day was humid and sticky. Every step became more taxing as beads of sweat raced down his face.

After several minutes of dashing, Jason could finally see it: the blue front gate of Terra Venture; a grand but more welcoming size than the towering Corinth entrance. He held himself up with his knees, trying to catch his breath while he hid behind a sturdy dark brown tree truck. _Okay, I need to find Kendrix. Hmm, just going in through the front door keeps causing problems, and I don't have Carter here to explain everything so perfectly. I need to be as inconspicuous as possible_.

Jason carefully observed the front gate from the cover of the tree. Lines of people seemed to be coming and going as they pleased. No I.D. check. No overzealous guards. Just a single rather friendly looking one. It seemed too easy, which made Jason all the more suspicious. He kept sharply scanning the area, as he'd seen his mother do so many times, and noticed a short man walking down the beaten path towards Terra Venture wearing a peculiar looking top hat. It was an impossibly bright shade of pink, and for some reason, it had a green feather latched onto the side.

Jason devised a quick plan before calmly, but speedily, walking up towards the man. "Hey! So I just had to say… awesome hat!"

The man smiled in a strangely alluring way and tipped his hat towards Jason. "Why thank you, young man." His voice was deep, but smooth.

They walked down the path towards Terra Venture side by side, all while Jason attempted to mirror his pace and mask the nervousness swelling up inside his chest. "S-So, I just gotta know. Where does a young man, such as myself, acquire such a… sophisticated hat?"

"Ah! I see you're not like most pups these days. No sense of true style in any of them. But you, hoho, that bold red outfit is absolutely exquisite. Dinosaurs are so beautifully retro. You simply _must_ tell me your designer."

The pair arrived at the gate, but the on-duty guard looked oddly at Jason.

His heart started to beat louder as he turned his gaze away. "W-Well, hehe, f-funny you should mention that…"

The guard walked over and motioned the pair to stop.

Jason froze in his tracks, trying to stand perfectly still while his palms grew sweatier.

The guard looked at Jason for a moment before turning to the man next to him. "Now _that_ is a hat! I've been thinking about getting one just like it."

"Ah! Splendid!" the extravagant man replied. "I was just about to tell this young man where he could buy one."

Jason slowly nodded. "Y-Yeah, great, but I really should—"

"Does it come in magenta?" asked the guard.

"Well I don't see why not," replied the man.

The pair seemed lost in hat-based conversation. All the while, Jason slowly stepped further and further away before speed-walking into Terra Venture. He wanted to slow down and take in the sights, but forced himself to keep walking. _Wait, is this pace suspicious? Everyone else is walking so slow_. He slowed down, then speed up a bit while trying to observe and match everyone else's pace and mannerisms.

Jason spent an hour combing through the navy-colored city streets, but could not track down even a single Ranger. In the city's center rested the tallest buildings. None of them were as pronounced as the skyscrapers of Neo Angles, but searching them all would take hours, if not days. _I need a new approach… Wait, Commander Stanton should still be running Terra Venture operations. If I can get to the main control deck, find him, and explain the situation, maybe he'll help_.

Just then, out of the corner of his eye, he witnessed a child being harassed and bullied by two slightly bigger children in front of a nearby store. The smaller child in the center of the commotion appeared to be holding tightly to some sort of plastic robot toy. The store merchant could see the commotion through his windows, but chose to ignore it.

The lankier of the two bullies swiped the toy out of the child's hand. "Hey Frankie, nice toy. I think I'll 'borrow' it, haha."

"Give it back, Isaac!" Frankie cried while trying to hold back his tears. "My sister bought that for me… before she…"

The toy was quickly swiped away from Isaac's grip. "Hey! What gives?"

He turned around to see the much taller Jason holding up the robot toy with a confident smirk. Isaac's fellow harasser had already ran away.

"I never liked bullies," Jason stated. "Never got bullied much myself though. Me being a prince and all that, nobody wanted to risk getting mother mad at them. But then I try to defend the kids in harm's way and mother gets mad at _me_. Can you believe that?"

Isaac slowly backed away.

Jason chuckled. "I'm not royalty here though. Not even close. So, you're free to bully me all you want."

With a frustrated expression, Isaac turned around and scurried away.

"Heh, my taunting usually doesn't go over this well. I half expected another broken pair of glasses." Jason gave the toy back to Frankie.

"Thanks mister!" Frankie wore a large smile while he inspected the toy from every angle.

"At least I did something right today… Oh! Hey Frankie, can you do me a solid and tell me where I can find Commander Stanton? Or at least where he works?"

"Yeah, I know the place." Frankie pointed down the street towards a large, rectangular, white complex that seemed to only have two floors. "Just inside that white place aaaaand left, I think… Or maybe it was right?"

Jason lightly laughed. "I think I can make do with those directions. Thanks. Stay strong, Frankie!"

Jason ran down the street and entered the complex, plastered in white from wall to wall on the inside as well. Lining those walls were several blinking LED panels. The technology was practically prehistoric to him. He felt compelled to take a closer look.

A trio of individuals walked by him dressed in gray and navy blue uniforms with the acronym "G.S.A." stitched on their arms. He recognized the uniforms and tried to contain his excitement. _No question about it. I'm in the right place. Nice job, Frankie_.

Suddenly, a loud alarm started to blare, startling Jason as he looked up and down the halls. A voice on a PA system made an announcement, "All available G.S.A. soldiers, report to the South Gate Plaza immediately. I repeat, all available G.S.A. soldiers, report to the South Gate Plaza immediately."

"What the heck…? Trouble? Here? Now!?" Jason's eyes widened while he ran his fingers through his hair. "Crap…! Did I break time!?"

A man wearing that same G.S.A. uniform walked through the halls and noticed Jason. "Hey, you there. Get to safety. You're way too close to the South Gate standing here."

Jason turned to look at him, his eyes immediately expanding upon recognizing the stern expression, slightly spiked up black hair, and perfect posture. "No way…! Kai!? You're THE Kai Chen!"

"Yes…" Kai gave him a peculiar look. "I'm sorry, have we met before?"

"Well, not really…? It's actually an interesting stor—"

A loud explosion sounded off from beyond the white complex. The ground began to rumble and quake from the blast.

"We'll have to catch up later then." Kai spirited out. "Find safety!"

Jason hurriedly looked around the building for a safe location, until he remembered the Morpher bound to his wrist. He stopped and stood, contemplating what to do. He then clenched his fist, turned back around, and ran to catch up to Kai.

Just outside, the five fully morphed Galaxy Rangers gathered over a grassy plaza after G.S.A. soldiers helped nearby citizens evacuate the area.

Once the plaza was clear, the Rangers confronted a deformed, limping, sword wielding, dark armored monster with random splotches of red decorating its being. "You… Rangers… will pay for what you have done to my Trakeena!"

He shot out a red laser beam that cut through the Ranger team, sending them all spiraling to the ground.

Jason finally caught up to the scene and witnessed the strange creature stalking down the Rangers as they pushed themselves back to their feet. He felt his heart pounding, gyrating his bones. His sweat built up inside his clothes while his hairs stood up on end. His body began to turn back around almost by itself. He tightly shut his eyes, but continued to hear the sound of blaster fire and screams behind him, continued to feel the cries and shouts of the Rangers getting tossed about. The sound of his heart proved softer than the sounds of terror slamming away at his eardrums. He turned back around and ran into the fray.

"Chronic Storm! Ranger form!" Jason leapt into the battlefield while cloaked in green light.

The deformed monster took a few steps back as the morphed up Jason stood in between him and the Galaxy Rangers. "What!? Another Green Ranger!? Impossible!"

"My legacy is just getting started." Jason heroically pointed at the creature. "And I won't let it end here!"

Jason charged forward and tried to tackle the monster, but the monster grabbed him and punched his helmet repeatedly before throwing him to the ground.

 _Geez, this guy packs a punch… and right after that super cool line I just thought up_. Jason picked himself up and charged at the enemy straight on once more. The monster wound up his sword as Jason drew closer.

He slashed downward. Jason took the hit with his shoulder, but had enough forward momentum to knock down the enemy.

"Yes…! GAH!" Jason bellowed out while holding tightly to his hurt shoulder.

The monster got back up quickly, unphased by Jason's reckless charge. "You fool. You can't hope to defeat me with no weapon." He turned his gaze slightly upward. "In days past, I would have scoffed at the idea of taking on an unarmed opponent… but those days are over!"

The Galaxy Rangers started running towards them while Jason struggled to move his right arm.

The monster picked up speed as well and aimed his sword at Jason's head. "I had honor, I had loyalty, but that wasn't enough! It's not fair, but now I know few things are!"

The monster launched his sword at Jason, only to have it blocked by the silver double-sided blade of a Quasar Saber. The force of the metallic clash sent Jason tumbling to the ground.

The other Galaxy Rangers ran towards the monster, following up with their own Sabers. Their weapons started to glow with their Ranger-specific hues before slashing through the creature at full power.

Stunned, it dropped to his knees, but would not be taken out just yet.

Jason turned around to see the outstretched hand of the Pink Galaxy Ranger. He took her hand and she pulled him up.

"Are you okay?" she asked.

The soft sound hit Jason's ears like a lullaby. Her voice, unmistakable. He knew it was Kendrix underneath that suit, behind that mask, but it still didn't feel real. "Okay… I-I am…?" He squeaked out.

Leo, the Red Galaxy Ranger, joined up with the pair. "Hey now, you didn't think we'd let you fight him all alone did you?"

Jason swung his head around and jumped back slightly. "Y-You're… Leo…!" The other Rangers joined in as well. "And Damon and Maya and Kai and… Kendrix!"

"I guess our reputation precedes us in other Ranger circles," replied Kendrix.

"Y-Yeah…" Jason replied. "Wait, yes! That's exactly what I have to talk with you guys about! It's the whole reason I'm here!"

The monster started to rise again; his body laced with the slash marks applied by the Galaxy Rangers. But still, he limped forward with a rattling sword in hand.

Leo and the Galaxy Rangers walked up to face him. "Sounds good. But first, let's wrap things up here."

Jason pointed at the enemy, suddenly recalling his true origins. His voice was slightly distorted and his form somewhat mangled, but his sword, his former honor; only one of Trakeena's old henchmen could be defined by such traits. "Villamax! He looks a little different, but it must be him!"

"Of course!" Damon replied. "Now his Trakeena complex adds up."

"Guys, let's not waste any more time," said Leo as he threw his hand into the sky. "Lights of Orion, activate!"

A bright, gold light shimmered over the heads of the Galaxy Rangers. As it dropped down upon them, the team was endowed with shimmering armor and upgraded Quasar Sabers also laced in the golden energy.

Villamax continued to charge, but the Rangers held steady.

As Villamax moved in closer, Leo made the call, "Now!"

The team charged him as their bodies transformed into particles of golden light that fused together into a giant ball of energy, slicing through Villamax. A sizable hole now adorned his chimeric body as it thudded upon the ground and exploded, erasing any trace of his being.

Jason held onto his chest, exasperated by just the sight of the Ranger win. "Okay, that was waaay cooler than my legend line."

The Galaxy Rangers regrouped with Jason and powered down, revealing their civilian selves.

Jason nervously felt around his suit while trying to recall how to power down himself. He tried to find the demorph function on his Morpher, but no button seemed to be obviously designed for that. "Uhhh… power down…?" His voice command worked, returning him to his civilian state with a quick flash of green light.

"Hey." Kai stepped up closer. "You're that guy from before. Heh, so much for getting to safety."

"Yeah, sorry… It wasn't part of the plan to interfere this much with established history, but I couldn't just hang back and let everyone else fight."

"What do you mean 'established history'?" asked Damon.

"Are you saying you're from a different time?" asked Leo.

"Well… yeah," Jason meekly replied.

"It's not impossible," Kendrix added. "It wasn't too long ago when we were all caught in a wormhole that sent us to the Lost Galaxy. Time is just another dimension after all."

Jason looked towards Kendrix and smiled at her almost immediate understanding of the situation, amongst other things. Her ever so slightly parted bangs upon a head of golden blonde hair. The way her ponytail swayed and moved with each shake of her head. And her circular glasses encasing her deep brown eyes. Jason's focus started to wander off. "Yeah… dimensions."

"Sooo… what brings you here?" she asked.

"Huh…? Oh, right! Uhhh, right. We should probably find a more secure location."

After Jason snapped back into reality, the Galaxy Rangers led him to their personal quarters; a dark navy and gray room to match the G.S.A. aesthetic with beds built into the walls. A 3D Chess board decorated the center of the room's square table where the Rangers gathered, sitting down in surrounding chairs.

Jason started to sit down as well, but then stood back up to explain the whole situation. He felt more comfortable moving around while he spoke. The Galaxy Rangers listened closely to the details regarding the future, General Axis, the Queen, and of course, the Chronic Storm team being assembled to prevent the continued spread of war.

While taking in the grand tale, the Rangers all wore various looks of concern, doubt, fear, and sympathy, while Jason tried to contain his emotions throughout, just as his mother routinely did even through the most damning of circumstances.

Jason took a deep breath after finishing his explanation. "Sorry, I went really really fast and missed some things, but that's what I've got."

"Wow…" reacted Leo with a shake of the head. "That's a lot to wrap your mind around."

"So, you can only take me?" asked Kendrix.

"Yeah," Jason replied. "We've been working on a potential solution to that limitation, but these days, the Morphing Grid is far too unstable from years of inactivity to risk too many Rangers coming aboard."

"Inactivity?" asked Kai.

"Before Chronic Storm was founded, the Power Rangers had been gone for centuries. And nobody who cares enough to look into it is really sure why. Professor Knox has theorized that it might have something to do with the age of the dinosaurs. Something about an old Ranger team creating parallel dimensions, but that's all just a theory. Ironically, it was through his temporal mechanics and alternate timelines research that he learned about the Rangers at all. Which eventually turned me into an avid fan and, well, here we are."

"Are you sure that it should be me going?" asked Kendrix. "To be honest, I'm not sure I'd be the best option if it came down to fighting a guy like this General Axis."

"Kendrix, you are so much more than your strength… I-I mean, not to imply that you can't fight. J-Just look at how well I did just flailing around, hehe… Uhh, what I meant was…" Jason's gaze lowered as he fiddled around with his fingers.

Kendrix giggled and shook her head. "It's okay. I know what you meant. And thank you."

Her soft, melodious laugh calmed Jason down. Somehow, all of his nerves were settling under the warmth of her smile. How was she doing it? His next words came easier, "Carter believes in you, and what you'll bring to the team. I do too. I know leaving Terra Venture for a trip through time can't be easy, but we really need you."

Damon shook his head. "Man, I just wish there was more we could do from here."

Kendrix stood up from her chair and gently paced around the room while she pined over all of this newfound information. "Hey, Jason…" She looked back to him. "I need a little time to think things through. I'll meet you just outside and we can talk then?"

Jason quickly nodded. "Okay, great, sounds like a plan." He stood there for a few seconds while the others traded glances back and forth. Jason looked around the room before recognizing the situation. "Oh! I should… Yeah, talk things over. I'll just be outside, over there. Yeah." He awkwardly scurried out of the room, the door automatically closing behind him.

From inside, Kai began the deliberations, "This is crazy. We have no business interfering with political powers that don't even exist yet. _If_ they even exist."

Leo replied, "I know if Mike still had the Magna Defender powers, he'd be lining up for a chance like this. Call me crazy, but I believe that guy."

"But this decision is Kendrix' to make." Maya looked to Kendrix. "She's the one they need."

"You're all right…" Kendrix paced around the room again. A few moments later, she removed her Morpher and handed it to Leo. "I think this is something I should do. I've never had a reason to regret the decisions I've made that have helped people. And I've got a feeling that I won't regret helping him."

"Kendrix, this is insane," Kai added. "What if more of Trakeena's old monsters come back?"

"Then Karone can handle it, just like before." Kendrix looked at all the mixed expressions of her teammates, their faces wincing as their minds were forced back into the dark memory of when they thought they lost her forever. "And just like before, I'll come back. So don't worry."

Maya walked over and hugged her tightly. "You have to."

The Galaxy Rangers exited the room while Jason leaned against a nearby wall. He rose to attention when he witnessed them.

Kendrix walked up to him with a smile and nodded. "Jason, you can count me in."

Jason sighed in relief as his shoulders sagged down. "Yes! That's great! Thank you so much!"

Kendrix made a round of goodbyes to her Galaxy Ranger teammates, hugging each and every one of them while they doled out encouraging words, light-hearted jokes, and even playful teases.

Jason could see it up close now; the smiles, the hugs, the emotions, the family. He could see what a real Ranger team looked like, what they felt like, what they acted like. In the back of his mind, he wondered if this new Chronic Storm team could ever reach such a state.

"Hey Jason." Leo stuck his hand out and Jason excitedly shook it. "Best of luck. And beat this guy, for all of us Rangers past and present. And future too."

"This was truly an honor, meeting some real legends. M-My favorite legends, if we're being honest, hehe. Anyways, after all I've watched and re-watched… and re-re-watched, it's a dream come true."

"If you need us, you'll know where to find us," added Kai.

"Or when to find us at least," added Damon.

Jason and Kendrix walked out the Terra Venture gate side by side. They took one more look back and waved goodbye to the Galaxy Ranger team before leaving the city behind and walking down the beaten path.

"So, how to we get to the future?" asked Kendrix.

"O-Oh, right. We just keep walking down this path, take a left, and then I can reactivate the portal."

In truth, Jason could reactivate the time portal at any moment. However, he concocted a better plan: use this as a chance to talk to Kendrix before they returned to the year 2990. A solid enough idea, with one fatal flaw: with just the two of them walking together, his nerves reached a fever pitch. His body felt numb in some places and uncomfortably warm in others. His mouth felt dry, unable to utter so much as a faint sound. Jason kept sneaking in a peek at Kendrix before quickly looking away, hoping she didn't catch him in the act.

Unsure of what to say or even how to say it, he kept racing through lines in his head as the steep humidity only amplified the sweat dripping down his face. Everything he thought up felt too stupid, too cheesy, or both. _But what if she likes cheesy?_ he thought. _No, too risky_. And what's more, he wasn't entirely sure if the sizable generational gap would cause problems. What if his definition of suave _is_ her definition of cheesy?

It didn't take Kendrix long to become fully aware of Jason's uneasiness. "You're allowed to talk to me, right? I'm not mean, I swear."

"O-Oh, yeah, hehe, s-sorry… I was just wondering… What was it that made you decide to come along for this mission in the end?"

"Well, I don't think you would have dragged yourself all the way through time and space for something insignificant. So, if there's a chance I can help, as a Ranger, I should at least try. Plus, Karone can always take my place here."

"No one could take your place," Jason mumbled underneath his breath.

"What?"

"W-What…? I-I mean, that was an amazing answer! Ehe, brilliantly put!"

"Haha, thanks… Also, I saw what you did for that kid. I thought that was pretty incredible."

"Huh…? Oh Frankie, haha! Just doing what I do, y'know."

"Saving the world, or even the universe, requires trust. I knew that after seeing that, I could believe your story. Even if it is still a little out there."

"Yeah, trust… but the powers, that's what really kicks evil's rear, right?"

"You might be right. We wouldn't have beaten Trakenna twice without them. But sometimes, that power alone isn't enough."

Jason once again found himself stunned by the notion of a legendary Ranger doubting the gifts endowed upon them. Surely with morphing power, nothing could topple you, nothing could beat you. The Rangers, the _real_ Rangers, never lost. Even the woman standing beside him was brought back after willingly sacrificing her own life.

Jason then realized what he was missing, something the Galaxy Rangers had in droves. They were all otherwise normal people, most with real jobs, who trained day in and day out after they became Rangers. Jason had fought two battles at this point and would have lost both without backup. He needed to get stronger, a lot stronger. He needed to prove himself to the legends that had become his teammates. Only then, he thought, would he feel worthy of Kendrix' trust. Only then, he thought, would the power protect him as well.


	7. Chapter 6: Assembled

**Chapter 6: Assembled**

Back in the year 2990, Carter and Taylor had returned from their mission, successfully recruiting Ethan James to the cause. Carter patiently sat down at one of the lab's computer stations to go over the limited information he collected on General Axis.

Taylor on the other hand paced around the room with arms crossed while glancing back at the time portal every few seconds. But still it stood, inactive, as it had been for the last hour.

"Taylor, he won't just appear if you stare long enough," Carter said. "It's like a watched pot."

Taylor shook her head. "One of us should have gone with him. Either of us could have easily convinced Ethan alone."

"I know. But he needed the push. In the few years I've known Jason, I've seen the kind of potential he has. He's sharp, he's passionate, and he wants to make a difference. But he won't grow unless we let him."

"He's also nervy, overly emotional, and child-like. I know you believe in him, but he's still just a novice. They didn't give me a plane and say 'good luck' my first day in the Air Force. You have to earn your wings before you can fly."

"This isn't the Air Force—"

"You think I don't know that? You really think after two years of fighting everything from a giant monster camera to a damn karaoke machine that I don't know the difference? But earning it applies everywhere."

Carter stood up from his console. "Look, I made the decision I thought was best to help Jason. And I stand by it."

Taylor scowled sharply at him. "Help…? Where was _our_ help? Where was this 'Lightspeed Rescue' when Master Org was trying to destroy the world?"

Carter walked up a little closer to her with arms slightly raised. "I have no idea who that is!"

"Bull. Shit… You may come from the past, but _no_ version of you, your little Red Ranger club, or any team was around when we needed it most!" Taylor turned her back to him while her crossed hands gripped tighter to her arms. "...Cole kept us strong, even when we had nothing but the clothes on our backs… We should have died that day… Even though we won, a lot of innocent people weren't as lucky."

Carter tried to reply, but hesitated, thinking upon the implications. "It can't be… Captain Mitchell would have… Taylor, I had no idea."

Taylor took a deep breath before loosening her arms. "Forget about it. I've just been… frustrated, recently. That battle's in the past, where it should be. Let's focus on winning the present one."

Just then, the time vortex sparked and flickered before activating again. The pair quickly turned around as the white and blue hues radiated across the room.

Professor Knox speedily walked in from another part of the lab. "Looks like our Ranger-in-training has finally returned!"

The trio gathered around the vortex and witnessed Jason exit it along with Kendrix right after.

Carter grinned. "You see, I told you. Nothing to worry about."

Taylor could only stand there and endure the words this time.

Kendrix walked up to Carter and shook his hand. "Carter Grayson, it's been awhile."

"Always a pleasure, Kendrix. Sorry to have to rush the reunion, but we need to get to the Operations Bay next door. Ethan James is already there working on something to help us out."

"Nice!" Jason replied. "Not that there was any doubt your mission wouldn't be a success."

"Alright everyone, proper introductions to come. But first, let's all head to the next room."

The team started walking towards the Operations Bay, a base built specifically for emergencies wherein the Ranger Academy stations could not be accessed. The next door over had the familiar hexagonal pattern hovering over the entrance.

Kendrix walked inside, looking excited by the futuristic displays, screens, holograms, and gadgets, but not overwhelmed by it.

Jason started to walk in right after her, but Taylor held him up. He stood at attention and tightened up his body, bracing himself for the worst.

"Not bad, kid."

Jason sighed in relief as he relaxed his muscles. "Heh, I'm really gonna have to earn that first name, huh?"

"If that's too much to ask, I can always start calling you 'toddler'."

"No no, 'kid' is fine. And thanks, Taylor."

Jason and Taylor then filed into the Operations Bay, a simple layer with a hexagonal table gracing the center and the Chronic Storm logo etched into it. But unlike the table held up in the Queen's chambers, this one was divided into the five colors of the Chronic Storm team. The design came from the original thought of having six Rangers in total. But the Queen and her scientists had the weakened Morphing Grid to consider and decided to scrap the Sixth Ranger initiative while keeping the hexagonal design.

Ethan could be seen in the back of the room sorting through some data from a 3D computer screen. He looked especially animated and wide-eyed with every response from the touch-based system.

Taylor shook her head. "He still hasn't wiped that look off his face."

"That's why he's here," replied Carter.

Ethan noticed the others and walked towards them. "Wow, allow me to say once again, I can't believe all the amazing tech you guys have here! I shouldn't be surprised, this being the future and all, but still, this is comic book level amazing!"

"Whoa, Ethan James." Jason shook his hand. "It's an honor to meet you."

"Likewise, teammate. And with any luck, this tracking algorithm I've been working on should help us weed out this General Axis guy."

"You work quick," Jason said. "And with tech that's completely foreign to you. Amazing."

Ethan grinned with a subtle shrug of his shoulders. "One of several benefits to being a proud geek, my friend. And, I figured out where the video games are in this time!"

"Quantum Racers 3," Jason smirked. " _If_ you feel like losing."

"Ohoho, so racing's your thing? Alright, I'm game. Let me teach you a thing or two later."

Taylor walked up to the two with a heated gaze. "No. Video. Games. We are working here."

Ethan threw his hands up and mumbled, "Chill out, grandma…"

"What was that?"

"Nothing, nothing at all."

Taylor shook her head. "Two Max's on one team. Just what I needed…"

"Alright everyone, take your seats," stated Carter.

The team took their seats around the table in accordance with the color they associated with while Knox sat in the grayed out section of the hexagon.

"Guys, welcome to Chronic Storm," Carter began, "a team made of some of history's Ranger legends in order to help save this time. I know it wasn't easy for you guys to drop everything to come here, but let me tell you how grateful I am that you did. Our mission: save Queen Diane from General Axis and put a stop to whatever he has planned. With Ethan's algorithm in effect, we should have a pretty good idea of where he is soon. Any questions?"

Kendrix raised her hand. "How come you recruited us after our Ranger journeys ended?"

"Good question," Carter replied. "The knowledge and the experience you bring now that you've defeated someone like Trakeena is exactly what Chronic Storm needs. You've all proven yourselves in the times you're from, so we knew what you were capable of."

"And yet…" Taylor looked to Jason while Jason tried to evade her glance.

"We would have run out of power if we tried to recruit another Green Ranger. If anything, we should feel lucky that Jason agreed to this. He didn't have to, he wanted to."

Ethan raised his hand. "Just one thing: what's up with the name? I mean, 'Chronic Storm'? We sound like one of those side effects they speed through during an antihistamine commercial."

"Ha!" replied Jason. "They _still_ do that today."

"Get out. Can't you just cure everything in the future?"

"Most things, yeah. But it gets legally complicated with some genetic conditions post-conception and—" Jason could feel Taylor glaring at him without even meeting her eyes. "Uhh, let's just focus now. Explanations later."

"It was actually Queen Diane's idea," Carter explained. "She had a great way of explaining it, but basically, we're supposed to be incurable pains for our enemies. Something like that."

"Ah, I see," replied Ethan with a nod. "That's kind of cool."

Taylor shook her head and raised her hand. "How are we going to get to a different planet when we track Axis down?"

"We could reconfigure the time vortex as a makeshift Stargate," Kendrix suggested. "Not to transport through time, but at least through space, if that's possible."

"That's genius!" replied Jason.

Knox interjected, "Unfortunately, as Carter implied, the time vortex used almost all of its power during our recruiting trips. It won't be ready for another journey, be it time or space, for quite awhile. But I'm loving the ideas!"

Carter pushed a button on the side of the table. A blue hologram displayed over the center, revealing a familiar spaceship.

Jason felt his heart skip a beat. He knew the ship well.

Kendrix also recognized it.

"For now, we can just use my ship," Carter said. "The Astro Megaship Mark IV. Reinvented and redesigned with more flight capabilities and stealth options than its predecessors. And with General Axis, we'll need both."

Carter turned to Taylor. "You've got more flight experience than any of us. I'll be counting on you to help pilot the Astro4."

Taylor nodded.

Then, Knox pulled up an orange holographic projection of Axis' vessel. Some parts of the ship were noticeably missing from the hologram, but the basic outline was clear. "It was just a quick scan from when he invaded us, but I was able to hastily create some blueprints of his ship so you'll know where you're going in there. But I'm afraid its rather incomplete, as you can see."

"Don't worry Professor," Jason replied. "We'll just blow a couple holes right through his ship and charge the bastards. Heh, it would even make your hologram accurate."

A perplexed Ethan looked back at Jason. "Would that even work…?"

Taylor sighed. "Please do not encourage the kid."

Jason pointed at Ethan. "He's younger than me!"

Taylor's eyes daggered back at him. "Within ten minutes of being here, Ethan created that tracking algorithm. What exactly have you done?"

Jason's open mouth was left silenced, but Kendrix quickly defended him, "He recruited me. And, he helped us stop Villamax."

"Villa who?" asked Ethan.

"Guys, focus," Carter said. Everyone settled down. "Hopefully, it won't have to come to a full on attack. We don't have the firepower to compete with Triforian ships, especially not the one Axis' is flying in now. I had a much less aggressive plan of action in mind."

The computer behind Ethan started buzzing and beeping while the screen flashed red. He quickly ran over to it. Something was being pinged on screen within the reaches of the Solar System.

"Good news, Ethan?" asked Carter.

"Great news. If the tracking data is correct, then he would have to be… there!" Ethan pointed at a planet. "He's hiding out around Saturn's rings."

"No telling how long he'll stay put, so let's get moving. I'll explain the rest of the plan aboard the Astro4, but first…" Carter went into a cabinet behind him and opened it up. From inside, he acquired a large silver case decorated with a black colored version of the Chronic Storm logo. He placed it on the table and pressed his fingers against the sides of the case. It clicked open, unveiling a trio of Morphers. "These are your Chronic Storm Morphers. They have a wide array of features, including communication, mapping, weapons, a heads up display for quick analysis, and of course, morphing."

Ethan smiled and rubbed his hands together. "Just like old times. I'm guessing we take our same color?"

"That's correct," Carter replied. "Unless you really wanted to be Pink."

"Hard pass." Ethan took out the Blue Morpher and strapped it on.

Taylor and Kendrix followed suit, each taking their respective color Morphers from out of the case. Then, the cabinets in the back opened up automatically to reveal new uniforms; black as the primary color with each respective Ranger color lining most of the edges and creases. Even the unmorphed uniforms took some design inspiration from Operation Overdrive. Queen Diane, who seemed uniquely intrigued by the Overdrive aesthetic, pushed hard for these similarities.

"And these are what we'll be wearing," Carter said. "Light but durable material. Suit up and meet me in hangar bay 2." Carter nodded and walked out of the room.

Ethan looked around at the others while slowly raising his hand. "One of us knows how to get to hanger bay 2, right…?"

Jason chuckled. "Yep, I've been there a few times. Dude, if you thought all _this_ was cool, wait till you see the inside of the Astro Megaship."

"Okay, where has Chronic Storm been all my life? I have died and gone to heaven!"

"You will," Taylor stated firmly. "If you two keep up that devil-may-care attitude. And it's _your_ mother that we have to save. Shouldn't you be a little more worried?"

Jason grinned. "My mother won't give in to those Triforian creeps that easily. She's the kind of person you don't have to worry too much about." He held up his Morpher. "And besides, we're Power Rangers. We never lose and we're not gonna start now."

Taylor walked up very close to Jason. Her gaze seemed intense enough to burn holes through solid steel. "Listen up, kid. Whatever delusion you might have about being this invincible superhero now, drop it. In both my lines of work, you can train, you can prepare, and you can practice every day, every night, until your hands are calloused and your mind can think five steps ahead of your body and you can _still_ die in seconds. So you'd better not give me any of your careless crap. You wanna be a hero? You wanna save the world? Don't talk about it. Work for it. And you _might_ just make it through. No archive footage or comic book will tell you that."

Jason stood silently as his gaze dropped to the floor. What could he say to the face of a real Ranger; one of the Rangers he idolized the most? Minutes after seemingly winning her over, he felt even further behind now, struggling with weighted breath just to make it _back_ to square one, let alone advance from it.

Ethan cautiously raised his pointer finger. "Actually, there was that one issue of—"

Taylor glared at him.

"So, hangar bay 2? This way, right?" Ethan made his way out of the room with uniform in hand.

Kendrix got in between Jason and Taylor. "Taylor, I think he gets it."

Taylor grabbed her uniform and walked out of the room. "He'd better."

Jason could finally breathe again. "Geez… She really doesn't hold back."

"You'll do fine," Kendrix replied with a reassuring smile. "I see a lot of Kai in Taylor. They'll both push you hard and demand a lot, but they mean well."

"Yeah… She's right though. I may technically be a Ranger, but I'm the furthest thing from a real hero. I need some real training, or I'll just be dead weight out there."

"That's what you have a team for. Kai and I used to spar all the time in between shifts. Hehe, he didn't win a lot, but we both needed the practice. Especially since our day jobs on Terra Venture didn't include a ton of combat."

Jason nodded knowingly, thinking back to the exact bits of archive footage showing all of the Galaxy Rangers training at one time or another. But a nervous thought entered his mind, compelling him to think carefully about his next words. "Sooo… you and Kai. You must have gotten pretty close then."

"Yeah, he's always been a great friend to me."

Jason turned away ever so slightly to breath out in relief. "That's great… I mean, y'know, friends and all that. Just great to have."

Kendrix giggled. "Shall we?"

Jason grabbed his new black and green uniform and suited up. "Let's go save the universe."

Jason and Kendrix made their way to hangar bay 2 where Ethan, Taylor, and Carter awaited them. The pair fell in line next to Ethan and Taylor. In front of them laid the Astro Megaship Mark IV, also known as the Astro4. A circular, saucer-like ship with a rounded rectangular prism jutting out of the front. It was mostly clad in black, grey, and navy blue, with red colored communication antennas attached to its backside. The 2-year-old ship had been built primarily to execute stealth missions but possessed just enough ammunition to handle itself in a dogfight, should the need arise. However, it didn't possess any Megazord capabilities, as former versions did. Diane adamantly argued against them, disapproving of their time consuming transformation sequences.

As the team prepared to enter the ship and leave for Saturn, Carter addressed everyone one final time, "Team, this is it. There's no turning back now. Let's save the Queen and stop General Axis."

An entrance panel lowered from the bottom middle of the vessel and everyone boarded.

Ethan looked around at all the advanced displays, monitors, computers, and systems with his mouth wide open, practically drooling. He wanted to touch something, everything, but held himself back.

Taylor stayed focused on using the databases loaded onto her Morpher to study up on the functions of the Astro4. The grimace on her face only grew more sour as she tried to wrap her head around terminology and control systems foreign to her.

Kendrix walked inside calmly, being used to the general layout, as the Galaxy Rangers flew around in the original Astro Megaship.

And Jason found himself just as enamored as Ethan. But every time his senses wandered, he forced himself back into reality. He knew he couldn't be just a fan anymore.


	8. Chapter 7: Space

**Chapter 7: Space**

The Astro4 broke through the atmosphere of Earth and jetted past a half-lit moon. Unfortunately, the Ranger Academy explosion took a toll on the ship as well, crippling the hyperdrive. It would take them at least four hours to get to Saturn with their current travel capabilities.

Carter and Ethan closely examined the tracking algorithm from the bridge of the ship. Axis didn't seem to be moving. Perhaps the Rangers weren't the only ones dealing with mechanical issues. But for now, they had him right where they wanted him.

Once Earth vanished into the backdrop, Taylor pulled back a lever on the front console, activating the auto-pilot.

Right after she finished, Jason slowly, timidly, approached her. "Um… Taylor?"

Taylor didn't turn around in her chair. "What do you want, kid?"

"To work for it… I was hoping you could help me train a little."

Taylor thought about it for a second before turning to face him. "Can you take a hit?"

"I've taken a few already. I'm still here."

"...Fine." Taylor stood up. "Let's see what you're made of."

Taylor and Jason walked over to the Astro4's training room all the way down the hall from the bridge; a white space with horizontal and vertical black lines draped over the entire area. The lines powered the virtual reality simulations. One could practice hitting targets, run combat training with cybernetic opponents, create virtual environments of any known planet or location, and even increase the gravitational pull inside the room to make the workout harder. But for now, the pair would just focus on combat basics.

Jason hopped around excitedly. "Alright, when do we star—"

Taylor punched him in the stomach. "Life or death missions don't have opening bells, kid."

Jason reeled back from the hit, but gathered himself and got into a fighting stance.

Taylor motioned him to stop and then pointed at his feet. "Too close together. Shoulder width apart."

"Huh? Oh, I got it." Jason widened his stance.

"Knees. More bent."

"Okay." He bent his knees a little more.

"Right arm raised."

He raised his right arm in front of his face. "And left arm?"

"Keep it to your side. Now, hit me."

"Hit you? Okay, but what speed are we going here?"

"Whatever speed you need to hit me."

Jason launched a right jab, but Taylor batted it away. He threw a left hook, but Taylor slapped that away. He tried a series of kicks, but Taylor avoided them all, grabbed his leg, and spun him to the ground.

"Not good enough," said Taylor.

Jason jumped right back to his feet. He looked down at his legs and recreated his stance. He launched the same series of attacks on Taylor. Right jab, batted. Left hook, swatted. Kicks, missed. His leg, caught once again before she tossed him back to the ground.

Taylor shook her head. "Try again."

Jason returned to his feet. "I will."

His stance looked a little cleaner this time. He got back into it more naturally without having to look down at his feet as much. He launched the same series of attacks once more, and once more, achieved the same result; tossed back down the the hard, cold floor. He tried to catch his breath while he pushed himself back up.

Taylor looked bored and somewhat disappointed. "Quitting already?"

Jason got back up while a little short on breath. "Not today… Not ever."

He began again with the same opening series of attacks, but this time, he faked his first kick. He could tell he caught Taylor off guard. "Who's the kid now?"

He then followed up with a punch to Taylor's midsection, but she still caught hold of his arm, twisted it back, and threw him to the ground again.

Taylor crossed her arms. "They grow up so slow."

Jason slightly grinned while shaking the pain out of his shoulder. "I almost had you though."

"You almost had nothing. That's why you're on the floor, again. We're done here." Taylor started to walk away.

"Not yet." Jason quickly got back on his feet. "Let's go another round."

Taylor sighed before turning back around, her arms still crossed. "You really like that floor, don't you?"

Jason stared down at the tiny puddles of sweat scattered around the white floor beneath him. "No… I don't… I hate it… I was on a floor just like this when that maniac Axis stole my mother. Same Morpher, same me… I need to be better than me, or someday… I might not be able to get off the floor."

Taylor slowly walked back towards Jason with an intrigued look about her. She threw a punch towards his midsection, but this time, he caught it.

Jason grinned a bit before getting caught with a follow up hook to the side of his face. He stayed upright, form still sharp, as Taylor continued to throw punch after punch. Jason's eyes began to dart almost by themselves, tuning into her attack pattern and deflecting her blows.

He saw another hook coming. He tried to move his weary arm to block it, but Taylor's punch caught the side of his face, sending him back to the familiar ground and nearly dislodging his glasses.

"Are we done _now_?" asked Taylor.

Jason picked himself right back up, adjusted his glasses, and returned to his fighting stance; his breathing heavier than ever before. "Why…? Are you… getting… tired… already?"

Taylor let out a subtle smirk. "Okay… Maybe you do have a little something in you. Let's bring it out."

In this way, they trained for a solid hour. Both became soaked with sweat while their bodies ran dry. Jason felt the worst of it. He did well to keep up with someone as trained and seasoned as Taylor, but his rattling knees could just barely keep his body over the floor in his current state.

"I'm… still… good… to go." Jason could barely catch his breath and his form gradually returned to its original sloppiness.

"We're only a few hours out from facing Axis," Taylor replied as she wiped her face. "You'll need to save your strength."

Jason laughed a bit and nodded as he held up his body with his knees.

Taylor looked at him perplexed. "What's so funny?"

"You admitted… that I had… strength… That's gotta be… at least a couple… steps out of… the 'kid' zone."

Taylor shook her head with a very light smile.

Just as soon, both of their Morphers started to beep; an alert from Carter calling everyone back up to the bridge.

"Come on, kid." Taylor threw Jason a towel. "Let's check in with the others."

Jason and Taylor arrived last as the Rangers assembled on the Astro4's bridge. The bridge was arranged in almost a lecture hall style setting, with two rows of consoles facing one large viewscreen in the front. They both found a seat at the back set of consoles.

Carter nodded at them and stood up to begin his explanations from the front of the bridge, "Alright team, we have some time before we catch up to General Axis. That gives us a chance to go over the plan." Carter looked to Ethan. "Ethan, can you bring up what we have on General Axis' ship?"

"Coming right up." Ethan pressed a button on his console, uploading a holographic projection of the ship in the middle of the room. The giant black vessel had three pairs of wings fixed upon a massive hull; known far and wide as one of the galaxies' most intimidating war machines.

"This ship is much more battle capable than ours is," Carter said. "Our best bet is to use the Astro4's cloaking technology to sneak up on them and enter through an exhaust port… right here." Carter pointed to the back of the ship. The hologram magnified one of the back exhaust ports of the Triforian vessel, illuminating the long, winding access point with a green coloration. "Your suits are able to withstand the effects of any exhaust being shot out, but to avoid that altogether, Kendrix found a way to isolate the frequencies used to activate certain exhaust ports and shut them down without arousing too much suspicion."

Kendrix added, "We might also be able to isolate their communication frequencies."

"Good. That'll be invaluable for collecting intel." Carter looked to Jason. "Jason, it'll be up to you to enter that exhaust port and place one of these microscanners on it." Carter pulled out a silver and red palm-sized device. "With this microscanner in place, we should be able to get a full readout of the ship. And, with any luck, uncover where they may be holding Queen Diane."

"This is a little bit above 'a push,' Carter," replied Taylor.

"I can handle it," said Jason.

Carter then looked to Kendrix. "Kendrix, once you've gotten into their communications, make sure that if Axis or any of his men suspect something, we can pull Jason out of a dangerous spot before it becomes dangerous."

Kendrix nodded.

Carter then looked to Ethan. "Ethan, stay here at the consoles and be ready when the microscanner goes live. If we can attempt a rescue with our new information, then we should."

"You got it," replied Ethan.

"I'll get down to the engine room to see if I can figure out how fixable the hyperdrive is. I'm no mechanic, but it's worth a try in case we need a faster escape plan. Taylor, it'll be on you to make sure that we can make that escape."

Jason raised his hand. "Wait, so what's the plan for fighting General Axis?" He looked around a room of uncertain expressions. "Think about this guys, if we take down Axis here and now, we end this war outright. Mission complete."

Ethan nodded. "We _do_ have the element of surprise."

Taylor glared at Ethan. "What did I tell you about encouraging the kid?"

"I understand your feelings, Jason," Carter said. "But with a ship like his, we'd be risking too much if we tried to engage him here. Yes, we would have surprise as an edge, but then what? There may be hundreds, if not thousands of armed men waiting for us up there."

Jason slightly opened his mouth, but said nothing; his retort caught inside his realization that Carter made perfect sense. He began slowly sinking inside his chair.

Kendrix softly placed her hand on Jason's shoulder. "Don't worry. We'll have our chance to stop this guy."

Jason smiled back at her with an assured nod.

"Alright," Carter said. "Everyone knows their jobs. Let's all rest up while we have the chance. We have about 3 hours until we reach Saturn and we need to be sharp when we arrive."

The team started to disperse. While they did, Jason noticed Kendrix heading towards the observation deck right across from the doors to the bridge. It was all too fitting that she would use this reprieve to waltz up that dark blue staircase and gaze into the great beyond.

Jason started to follow. His feet looked the same, and yet, they had somehow began feeling heavier. _No, it would be weird... wouldn't it…? Wait! Maybe I could be all like, 'Hey, funny seeing you here'... or maybe not_.

Taylor noticed his clear anxiety and subtly smiled. She walked over to Jason while he remained frozen. "You'd better get up there, before someone else does."

"W-What? Ehehe, I have no idea what you're talking about."

"You don't?" Taylor shrugged while turning away. "Fine. I'll just tell Ethan to head up and enjoy the view too. He probably loves that sort of thing."

"Huh?!"

"He's a geek. She seems like a geek. Who knows, maybe they'll hit it off and live happily ever—"

"Now that you mention it, I do think I left something lying around up there, hehe, away I go!" Jason speedily walked across the hall and up the stairs to the observation deck.

Taylor smiled ever so slightly before a glimpse of her past came to mind, causing her to wince ever so slightly. She shook away the thought and quickly returned to the bridge consoles to continue studying in the ins and outs of the Astro4.

While Taylor worked on her own, Jason made his way up towards the observation deck; the top floor of the Astro4. The sliding door automatically opened up before him at the top of the stairs, giving way to the star-filled, semi-circular roof of the deck. The floor had a one of a kind, magnified view of all the stars, planets, and galaxies, even some fairly out of reach ones. Essentially, an in-ship planetarium with live-action planets.

Jason quickly took notice of Kendrix' wide eyes, her comfortable smile, and a head that swerved back and forth, desperate to capture even the faintest shimmering star. His rattling knees seemed to silence as her soothing presence washed over his frame. He walked up towards her, but still couldn't find the right words, or any words. He kept on walking however, hoping the correct thoughts would just leap into his brain and out his mouth.

Kendrix turned around and noticed him. "Oh, didn't see you there. This observation deck is incredible!"

"Y-Yeah, super incredible, hehe, stars… stars are… bright…?"

Kendrix giggled. Her laugh ate away at Jason's tenseness once more. It felt like a magic trick and worked just as quickly.

"It's kind of nice, being back in space," she said.

"Yeah, I can only imagine." Jason walked towards the middle of the deck and stood beside her, looking up at the moving stars and planets, some dancing away faster than others. "For me, this is only my second time traveling through space. All these suns and solar systems, it just never ends."

"Your second time? I never would have guessed."

"My mother… she likes to keep me pretty Earthbound. Says it dangerous elsewhere."

"Well, she's not wrong. I have fought plenty of otherworldly monsters. But there's so much more to it than the danger. So many amazing things to discover and learn… I like to imagine what kind of beings live on other planets, what kind of civilizations they have, what kind of rituals, beliefs, hopes, and dreams. That's what drew me towards working on Terra Venture."

Jason looked at her amazed. He always thought of other galaxies and planets through the lens of what technology they might have or how fast their ships could hit warp 5. To meet a fellow lover of discovery and science and have her main interests be what alien folk dream about proved unnerving, yet, mostly refreshing.

Kendrix noticed Jason's stare.

Jason nervously looked away while Kendrix smiled. "Why are you looking at me like that?"

"W-What? Oh, me? Nothing— I mean, no reason! Just thinking… how much I agree with you!"

"Really? That's great. Some of the people I work with think it's a little strange."

Jason chuckled. "Better strange than sheltered. At least your parents let you experience all this for yourself."

"To be fair, I was already an adult when I made that choice. Just like you."

Jason smiled and nodded. "Just like me. Heh, thanks."

"You're here now, trying to save your mom and the whole universe. She can't protect you forever. And after this, maybe she'll see that you can protect yourself."

Jason's brows raised at the idea. "Wow, I hadn't even… you're absolutely right! But I get the feeling being right is the norm for you."

Kendrix giggled. "I don't like to brag about it."

Jason looked up again upon the swift stars slicing through the cosmos and then to his Morpher. His new found enthusiasm quickly faded as the memory of his first moment wearing it still gnawed at him. The tight-fitting suit, the heads up display, the immense rush of power. It should have been the highlight of his life. "...I had my chance to stop Axis when he first came to Earth, and I couldn't. Every reason mother ever gave me for not letting me join the Ranger Academy was proven right… I've cleaned up my form a little, maybe, but…"

Kendrix placed her hand on Jason's shoulder. "This one time, way back when, I had to fight with my mom just to go to camp. It was my first sleepaway camp up in the woods of Northern California. She thought a summer in the wilderness miles from home would be too much for me."

"Aaand you proved her wrong…?"

"Haha, not even close. After two nights of sleeping on rocks and fighting off bugs, I couldn't take it anymore. I was on the phone the next morning crying like a fountain, begging my mom to come pick me up."

"Oh… Well then…"

"Things got better though. I still ended up going on another journey, this time much much further away from home. Neither of my parents were thrilled about my decision. My dad was the one crying that time. He thought he'd never see his 'little girl' again… The journey we were going on had never been attempted before. There was no way to say if any of us were ready. But my mom, after a lot of back and forth, understood how much joining Terra Venture meant to me. She still didn't fully approve, but she knew it was my decision to make. And she knew I was mature enough then to make it. I'd say things worked out pretty well in the end."

"I see." Jason slowly nodded. "I… never knew that story. Thanks for telling it."

"You're very welcome. Maybe we can add it to the archives later. But for now, we should probably get some real rest. We'll make it too easy for Axis if we show up groggy."

"Yeah…" Jason's fists tightened.

Kendrix could see the frustration in Jason's eyes all too clearly. "Jason, if we're going to beat Axis, then it'll be together. I know that you feel responsible for what happened. I've seen those exact same feelings before. But you don't have to put it all on your shoulders. That's why this team has ten of them."

Kendrix started to walk away while Jason continued to think back to his failure. The laughter, the constant jeering burned him the most. He wasn't even enough of a threat to kill, let alone take seriously.

Jason soon made his way down the stairs to get some rest himself. It would be hard to sleep while he wrestled with the itch to keep training. Even still, he carefully watched his feet, being sure to keep them properly spread as he made his way down to the lower levels. All the while, he thought back to how Axis got in behind him.

At the bottom of the stairs, he quickly jump-stepped, doing a half turn while holding his fists up to his mental image. Jason walked down the dark blue halls while minding his feet and knees. Every now and then, he'd perform that same 180-degree jump-step-twist. After a few repetitions, he nodded to himself. _Next time, it's gonna be you on the floor_.


	9. Chapter 8: Mission

**Chapter 8: Mission**

Within the confines of General Axis' ship laid Queen Diane, bound by light blue colored energy draining cuffs inside a rustic, old fashioned prison block cell. She peered through a dense, blaster-proof window locked up tight in front of her. That same unchanging crimson lighting dressed across the floors while an empty, dark cell stared back from the other side of the hall. A stagnant sight, that is, until the window started to rattle and shake before sliding up and revealing the General himself.

Diane refused to look up at his joyful face.

"Good evening, 'My Queen.' Are these accommodations up to par? I can have some leaky pipes installed if that would make it more homey."

"Save it, Axis!" snapped Diane. "You didn't come down here after all this time of keeping me locked up just to rub it in. Now, tell me what you want."

"What _I_ want? Oh no, it's not quite that simple."

"Then please, enlighten me."

"That would take years. But I'll say this much: my planet is filled with warriors; strong, proud, powerful fighters that could end any feud, any conflict, simply by showing up to it. Even lifeforms residing in the scummy underbelly that is the M51 Galaxy know to respect us."

Diane slowly brought her tired, seething face up to meet his. "I know of your people, General. I know of the corrupt way they've always been ruled and you're no different. What you do, how you do it, it doesn't inspire respect, it inspires fear. It's planets like yours that I do everything in my power to stop."

"Hmph, your so called 'power' means nothing from inside these walls, so I highly recommend you keep your political idealisms to yourself." Axis crouched down and stared Diane right in the eyes. "You know, even with all my ability and influence, I didn't start out with good fortune. I was always the smallest of my kind, bullied mercilessly and constantly told I'd never amount to anything… And now look at me." Axis rose back up, casting his shadow against the Queen's face. "Am I so petite to those who kneel before me?"

"You rule Triforia now. If you truly only sought respect, you have that now. So why come after me?"

"Because of your so called 'for the people' chatter. We 'people' have never felt more enslaved by your laws and your bills. In this era of 'peace,' you fret not about the lives and livelihoods you stole from those who need war to survive! And now! Oh now, if we were to settle a dispute with another planet in our way, how many channels of high brow bureaucracy would we need sell our cause to? And should we take initiative, we become the villains!"

Diane's expression held, unmoved by his pleas. "We needed stability at a time when the universe was ravaged by every kind of war. Even Triforia suffered under the heat of internal battles and blaster-filled disputes not long ago. Most would call it the furthest thing from 'Civil'. When others forged weapons, I forged alliances. So I will not apologize for your imagined slights simply because you and your kind refuse to adapt to the new universe I created."

"Your so called united universe has never been more divided. And it goes well beyond war. Your kingdom imposes strict rules on where and how trade happens, you enforce crushing limitations on the viability of spacecrafts, and… anyone who speaks against you is mysteriously silenced. What's more, you're so caught up in your pretend peace that when allies slip right through your fingers, you fail to so much as notice."

"What are you talking about?"

"Planetary independence is the only solution. Not that I'd expect you to consider that while you sloth about in your ostentatious palace."

Diane gritted her teeth, but then calmed herself down before glaring back up at Axis. "I have nothing more to say to you. Now then, if you plan to kill me, you best go ahead and do it because if I'm not dead by the time _they_ come, you'll wish you had."

"They…? Ah, you mean your precious Power Rangers. HA! Like lambs to the slaughter, my men buried the last of those fools before I secured you."

Diane's eyes widened. Even with the Ranger Academy destroyed, she had hoped that some of the current Rangers found a way to survive.

"Even your man out of time could not help but fall to the might of Triforia. So let me be perfectly clear when I say that no one shall come to your aid this time." Axis turned around and walked out of the cell. "This conflict is nearing its end. I'll be seeing to that. We have aligned more than enough races, planets, and whole star systems together while you made play as Queen upon a false throne. We now have more than enough Resistance forces to end your reign of… 'freedom'. And not short enough it was."

Axis left the cell block while the window door slid down and locked the Queen away. As the clomping of his feet drifted further into the distance, Diane's eyes darted around the cell, looking for any means of escape. But with the specialized cuffs bound to her wrists, she barely had enough energy to keep on her knees.

The feeling crept up on her, slowly. That familiar feeling of helplessness. That cold, dark night spent hiding behind the couch, hoping the screaming would end. Everything was slipping away, out of her control, just as it used to be.

While Axis' ship held its position near Saturn, the Astro4 continued to hotly pursue it. And three hours later, a siren stared blaring about the Astro4 halls, waking up the Rangers. "Warning! Warning! Approaching coordinate location."

The ship's announcement had a decidedly robotic sound to it. A fairly basic program.

The Rangers all sprung out of bed, got their uniforms back on, and raced to the bridge. Carter stood at the front of the bridge as the rest of the team filed in.

"Okay team, we were able to activate cloaking before their sensors could tag us. We have a window and we know what needs to get done. So let's do it."

The team collectively nodded with Jason adding in a confident smirk.

The Astro4 coasted over Saturn's rocky rings while the pale yellow hue of the planet passed them by. Within a few minutes, the bridge windows revealed the large and imposing ship of General Axis. Looks of worry and alarm quickly arose among the ranks as they stared upon a vessel that utterly dwarfed the Astro4, standing at around 20 times its size. The ship before them was also cascaded in long barrel laser rifles and photon torpedo launchers as well as having a specialized, pitch black metallic alloy for a shell that made it a consummate defensive vessel. Every inch of the overwhelming Triforian battleship could be felt as the Astro4 carefully glided past its sides towards the back; the dark coating blanketing the scene like a starless night sky.

Ethan shook his head with a nervous exhale and looked to Jason. "And you wanted to charge this thing?"

"I didn't think it'd be the bigger than the palace," replied Jason.

The Astro4 started to slow down near the back of the ship. The team all got to their mission locations.

"Alright, communications check," Carter said from the steamy engine room. "Can everyone hear everyone?"

"Read you loud and clear," Taylor replied from the bridge. "Astro4 is ready for an emergency getaway."

"Everything is good here," Ethan added while working on the bridge computer adjacent to Taylor. "Once that microscanner is in place, Axis won't be able to hide anything from us."

"Everything is clear on the communications end," Kendrix said. "Give me the signal and I'll isolate the frequencies we need."

Jason morphed up and made his way to the roof of the Astro4. He stared up at the massive black vessel above him while trying to steady his nerves. "It's even bigger up close… I mean, I'm here! I'm ready at the top of the ship. Give me the word and I'll boost up to the exhaust port."

"Good," Carter communicated. "Kendrix, it'll be on you to ensure that things go smoothly from here on out while I take a look at the engine's hyperdrive. I had a chance to see what needed fixing earlier, but it'll probably take awhile."

"Roger, Carter." replied Kendrix while working on a bridge console behind Ethan. She located the Triforian ship's communication systems. With the push of another button, she started picking up vocal transmissions from every part of the vessel. "Okay, I've tapped into on board communications and functions without triggering anything. Nothing seems to be coming from the back. Looks like now is our best chance."

"Nice!" Jason replied. "Open up the exhaust port in 3… 2… 1… now!" He kicked off the Astro4 and floated his way towards the back exhaust port.

Kendrix isolated the exhaust port controls on her computer. "Opening the port now."

Jason softly landed on the ship's side as the port opened up. He pulled himself in before the port quickly closed behind him, leaving him shrouded in darkness. His heads up display automatically generated a map of his surroundings covered in green light. Similar to infrared, except green. The exhaust port proved to be a tight fit, but fairly straightforward. "Okay guys, I'm in."

"Nicely done man," Ethan said. "Okay, looks like you'll need to go about 30 meters straight ahead and then take a left until you see an exhaust slit. Should be pretty close to the turn. That slit will take you to the engine room. Place the microscanner on the engine and we should be able to get a full layout of the entire ship."

"Did you get all that, Jason?" asked Kendrix.

"Got it. En route to the engine room now." Jason dashed through the exhaust port with poised steps. Each stride forward felt surprisingly lighter, easier than the last. Wearing the suit now, Jason felt empowered, self-assured, fearless. Now, he thought, he felt like a real Ranger.

His heads up display directed him left towards the faint slivers of light just around the corner. He carefully stepped closer to the open slits and peered inside. One giant, red and silver colored engine in view with seemingly no one around to guard it. "Okay, I made it to the engine room."

"No sign of any comms inside," Kendrix replied. "You should be clear."

"Roger that. Entering engine room now." Jason broke through the exhaust slit and lifted himself up into the room. He slowly walked towards the engine while rotating around and maintaining his fighting stance. Nothing but the strikingly melodic whir of the engine itself could be heard. He then carefully placed the microscanner on the cylindrical surface. "Microscanner in place. Ethan, do your thing."

"Excellent!" With a push of a button, Ethan activated the microscanner remotely and the holographic projection of Axis' ship started brimming and lighting up with more and more details in the center of the bridge. "It's working! We're getting all kinds of advanced ship readouts."

Ethan then started searching for anything resembling a detention level. "If I'm looking at this right… there!" His search brought him into the ship's inner layers. The hologram magnified the area. "I found the detention level cell blocks. It's around the center of the ship. Not exactly encouraging for anyone looking to escape. I'm transferring everyone the readouts now."

"I've got them." Jason used his Morpher to access the readouts. His mind almost immediately starting calculating the distance from his current location. _It's not too far_.

"Hold on guys." Kendrix' computer screen flashed an orange ripple around the front of the ship, signalling a comms pick up from their bridge. "I'm getting a take off command. We don't have much time."

Taylor swung her head back in alarm just as Carter returned to the bridge. "Carter, we're on the clock. That ship is going to take off with the kid on it."

"Don't worry guys," Jason replied as he pressed a button on his Morpher. "Couldn't sleep, so I did some Morpher study instead. I've got just the thing." From out of the center of his belt manifested a spherical, gray electromagnetic pulse device. "This EMP will be just strong enough to deactivate the engine for a little bit. The Astro4 should be safe due to the limited range."

"An EMP!" Ethan grinned. "Great thinking, Jason!"

Jason pressed the top of the device, activating the EMP. A blue colored pulse erupted from out of the sphere, shutting off the lights as the sound of the whirring engine started to fade before complete silence greeted complete darkness.

From the Astro4, the team noticed several of the lights shut off on Axis' ship as well as the thrusters deactivating.

Carter quickly got back in contact with Jason, "Alright Jason, the engine power is down. Now get back here… Jason…? Jason, come in!"

No response.

"Jason," Kendrix said. "I know you must be sad that we can't save your mom just yet, but please, if you can hear me, come back. We can figure this out."

"It's no use guys," Ethan added while he tried to track down Jason's location. He failed to find the signal let off by his Morpher and could not access the Green Ranger communications system. "That EMP must have fried his own comms as well as that engine. I don't even know if he's still morphed right now."

"He knows the path," Carter said. "He'll be able to get out by himself."

Taylor stood up and turned to him with a stern look.

"Right… I'll go in after him, just in case. Once they realize that the engine is the problem, it'll be Jason against a whole lot of bad guys and I can't let that happen. Everyone else, stay at your stations. This may get rough. Chronic Storm, Ranger form!"

Carter quickly morphed up, ran to the roof of the Astro4, and prepared to enter the Triforian ship.


	10. Chapter 9: Confrontation

**Chapter 9: Confrontation**

Not even a sliver of light peered through the compromised engine room of Axis' ship. Jason felt around his body, confirming that his Ranger suit and helmet remained attached. But his heads up display systems had been compromised, leaving him engulfed by cold, silent darkness. He tried to re-initiate communication systems, but they wouldn't function either. His power suit seemed to have been reduced to tightly-fitting clothes. He felt around the room, trying to find the exhaust slit he entered from. All the while, he wondered if his mother saw nothing but darkness too.

Then, the engine room doors slid open. The sudden flash of light stung Jason's eyes, but he managed to quickly hide behind the engine itself while two of Axis' henchmen entered the room.

Jason thought about his next move as his heart rapidly pounded on his chest. He carefully peered around the engine to observe the pair of Triforians that entered. Both towered over Jason; tall and dressed in thin white and teal uniforms. But neither looked as imposing as the regular brand of Triforian warrior, nor were they clad in much armor.

"Alright, we're here." The slightly taller of the two henchmen took a quick look at the engine.

"Let's be quick about this so as to not upset The General," replied the slightly shorter henchman.

Jason held his breath to avoid making a sound. While the Triforians made repairs to the engine, he noticed his Morpher systems coming back online. He carefully poked his head around the engine once more. The henchmen hadn't noticed him yet while they worked to reboot the systems. _Maybe I could sneak around, try and jump them. But what if they have their blasters pre-loaded? Damn… Wait, I'm still morphed, and I can actually draw_ my _blaster this time. I can do this_.

The engines soon came back online; the gentle whir of its internal cooling unit steadily returning as the effects of the EMP wore off.

Jason took a deep breath and smirked behind the dark cover of his visor. _I've got this_. He revealed himself to the henchmen.

"Hey!" The larger of the two henchmen noticed Jason. "We've got an intruder!"

Jason threw both his hands up. "W-Who? Me? I was just… looking for the Tech Help Center. You see, my Morpher's been pretty buggy lately and I was hoping to get it fixed."

The Triforian pair stared at each other confused and then back at Jason.

"Nice try, Ranger," replied the slightly shorter henchman. "But we got rid of that section of the ship last month."

"Wait, we did?" asked the taller one.

The shorter one sighed. "It was in the meeting minutes, man. I keep telling you to take notes because you always always forget."

"Wait a minute…" The larger henchman scratched his head. "Why would a Power Ranger come to _our_ ship for tech help anyways?"

"Hmm…" The shorter one rubbed his chin. "Aha! I get the feeling that we're being played!"

Jason waved his hands at the pair. "So, here's the thing about that…" He quickly got out his blaster and shot down both henchmen before they could draw their own weapons.

"Whew, mother was right about these guys. Not a lot of muscle where it matters most." Jason's hands still trembled from the rush. He took a hard look at his Morpher and nodded. "Morpher, it's time to be real heroes."

Jason ran out of the engine room and entered the crimson tinted hallways of the ship. All the while, he kept his blaster pointed directly ahead of him.

Meanwhile, back on the Astro4, Taylor and Kendrix watched over Ethan's shoulder as he tried to get Jason's communications back online. Multiple attempts to re-establish connections proved unsuccessful, until a faint, static-laced blimp started to come in and out of focus.

"Almost up… got it!" Ethan found Jason's Morpher signal as the blip turned green and remained solid upon the computer screen.

The signal moved quickly across the ship before stopping for a few moments, then moving again, drawing looks of concern from the trio of onlookers.

"And by the looks of it, he's heading towards the bridge…?" Ethan looked to the others. "But why go there?"

"He wouldn't…" said Taylor.

"Carter, you need to get to him right away," Kendrix communicated. "I think he may be looking to take on Axis."

Carter made it to the engine room and noticed the two downed henchmen littered on the floor. He raced out and found another twitching henchman body draped across the hall. He continued to follow the trail. "Guys, I'm close. Let's hope I can get to him before _he_ can get to Axis."

Jason continued to storm the halls with his Chronic Blaster in hand, neutralizing ship henchmen and even a handful of warriors who took a few more shots to put down. One more hard thud upon the ground as Jason blasted back a warrior. His suit and helmet gained a few new scratches and marks while dealing with the hefty opponent. His breath labored, but his confidence continued to rise.

While the warrior squirmed on the floor, Jason could just make out a grainy sound in his ear. Jason pulled out a tiny communication device. He then used his Morpher to amplify the sound and listen in.

"Cadet, what is your status? Has the intruder been eliminated?"

Jason cleared his throat and spoke into the device, "General Axis! I hope you're listening right now because I'm coming for you! If you're half the man you think you are, quit sending me your big throw pillows and face me yourself. I'm waiting."

Jason crunched the device under the weight of his grip. "Heh, this is getting kind of fun. But I gotta stay focused. All I have to do is beat him now." He continued making his way towards the bridge.

Inside that very bridge, henchmen and warriors alike worked furiously to re-initiate launch systems with the engines once again operational. The layout greatly contrasted that of the Astro4; much darker, much larger, less stylized, and with numerous Triforians working at their respective stations.

A cadet reported Jason's recent outburst to Lieutenant South.

South took a deep breath before walking up to Axis, sitting on a large chair in the very center of the room. "It's a Power Ranger, My General. The Green one, I've been told. He, ahem… he called us big throw pillows… and has requested an audience with you."

"Could it be…?" General Axis smirked and stood from his chair. "Enough of our people have suffered this day, Lieutenant. We best not keep our guest waiting any longer. Stay here and oversee the bridge. And set me up over the PA system."

"At once, My General."

Jason continued to run his way up the levels of the ship. As fate would have it, the engine room and the bridge are separated by practically the entire length of the vessel. He kept running through sliding doors and up tiny staircases using the ship readouts as a guide. More than halfway there now.

But then, a loud sharp sound shrieking over the airwaves halted his progress. And then, an announcement over the PA system, "Good evening, Green Ranger. My name is General Axis, but I suspect you already knew that. You seem to have mentioned wanting to meet with me. I suppose you'll need a hard reminder. Because against me…"

The PA announcement suddenly cut out.

Jason froze in place as his head darted all around. His helmet's heads up display wasn't picking up much, and its outputs were generating noticeably slower than before.

Just then, a shadowy figure appeared behind Jason. "...You're the throw pillow."

Jason quickly rotated his body, just as he practiced, and cocked back a heavy punch, but a powerful surge of electricity blasted him to the floor.

"Did you enjoy that one? It's one of my favorite techniques, that. Takes a bit of time to grasp, no two ways about it, but it is ever so satisfying to unleash."

Jason slowly began to rise. Then, he got into his proper fighting form while staring upon that fiendish smirk, that striking glare, once again. He pointed his blaster directly at Axis. "General Axis! I am Chronic Storm Green Ranger 5, and I'm here to stop you. Consider yourself under arrest."

Axis held in a chuckle before full on laughing. "Ahahaha! I see you finally learned how to unholster the damn thing." He shrugged with a sigh. "Well, fine then. Take me away in handcuffs or whatever you Earthers use nowadays. I surrender."

Jason began to drop his blaster's aim for a split second before lifting it back up with a tightened grip. "No chance I'll fall for that act. You'll need to kill me to win this time."

"I'll be honest. I had hoped, but didn't truly believe, you'd have the nerve to suit up again after facing me. So tell me, boy, what makes you think you'll fare any less tragically then when last we met?"

"I know what it means to be a _real_ Power Ranger now."

"Hmph, you royal brat. You've known not struggle, nor strife, and you think you know power? True power comes from fighting for it, sacrificing for it, and once you have it, working everyday of your life to hold onto it before the inevitable end. You think you can wield that Morpher, fit your frame into colorful spandex, and that gives you power? You don't even know the meaning of the word."

A perturbed Jason started to charge Axis while firing his blaster.

Axis lifted his arm and coated it with an electrical surge that repelled the blasts.

Jason got in close and unleashed a flurry of punches.

Axis however deflected all of his efforts with a single hand before grabbing Jason's arm and throwing him to the cold floor.

"Is this the limit of your so called 'power'? I have had greater issue with creatures half your size."

Jason rose from the floor again and kept putting the pressure on Axis with a series of kicks. Axis danced around his blows before laying a punch into his helmet, slightly cracking the left side of his visor.

Jason dropped to the floor again, his heads up display now shutting off completely. But he quickly got right back up, still glaring at Axis through his deformed visor.

Axis' eyes widened. "You've improved a great deal in a short amount of time. You've become like the Kodenai species of rodent on my home world: small, feeble looking, bottom of the food chain, and yet, deceptively hard to keep down."

Jason caught his breath and got back into his fighting form. "You'd better try harder then."

"Hmm, I suppose you're right. Allow me to show you _my_ full power."

Jason tightened his muscles, bracing himself for the next attack.

"Based on where you are now and where you're hiding your ship, it would take you quite a while to get back, no?"

Jason's frame started to shiver as the words strangled his ears. His arms started to lower ever so slightly.

"That's right, Green Ranger. Did you truly believe that your cloaking technology would go unnoticed? A clever attempt, I'll grant you. But you were allowed to succeed. And now, I have Queen Diane _and_ her pet Rangers all in one convenient place. Good fortune, really."

While listening in on the communications, Kendrix overheard the entire exchange. "Guys, we've been made. General Axis knows where we are. He's known from the start."

"Can we park the ship somewhere else?" asked Ethan.

"Where!?" Taylor bluntly replied. "To the side, directly in range of his giant laser guns?"

"Guys, stay calm," Carter communicated from inside Axis' ship. "We can make it through this. But first, I need to get to Jason."

"The kid's already found Axis," Taylor replied. "You need to pick up the pace."

"Understood. Hopefully, I'm not too late." Carter continued to rush down the crimson halls following the trail of henchmen and warriors laying nearly motionless around every other corner.

Further down those same halls, Jason stood paralyzed, shaking in his suit as Axis' full power overwhelmed him.

"Now, boy. You have yourself a decision to make. I have your mother, the Queen, locked away in a cell block programmed to launch into the surface of Saturn's nearest moon at full speed, instantly killing her, should I chose. And, I know your team is positioned near the back exhaust port of my ship." Axis slowly crept closer to Jason's quivering body. "You claim to have power. You claim to know what power is. What now, Green Ranger? How will you act now that you stare upon the face of real power?"

Jason snapped out of his fear and repeatedly blasted Axis with his Chronic Blaster. "How's that for power?"

A thick cloud of smoke blanketed the hallway just as Carter finally caught up to the fight. "Jason…? Jason!"

The smoke began to clear, revealing an unphased General Axis. "You're running low on tricks, Green Rang—" Axis noticed Carter staring him down through his visor right beside Jason. "The man out of time, back from the dead… A surprise, to be sure, but ultimately, an unimpactful one."

"I was the lucky one. Also the only one, you monster. What you did to my team and the Ranger Academy is unforgivable!" Carter looked to Jason. "Can you still fight?"

"Really!? Fighting alongside Carter Grayson. It doesn't get much better than this!"

Carter nodded and the pair faced down Axis. "Okay General, let's see how you fare against double the power."

Axis sneered at their words. "A truly titillating offer, truly. However, given what I know about your ship's location and what I have in your Queen, I just made your number of viable options one: Surrender now, or, I will expel your Queen from my ship and then blast _your_ ship with the full force of my weaponry."

Carter's fists rattled while he sorted through the situation. _Maybe if we took him down quickly enough… No… it's too risky_. He dropped his guard, succumbed to their circumstance, and demorphed. "Power down… We can't win this round."

"Carter, no!" Jason kept his blaster pointed at Axis. "We have him right where we want him!"

"Do you?" Axis stepped closer to Jason while his blaster shook in his hands. "Tell me, Green Ranger… did you ever go camping?"

"Huh…? What are you trying to—"

"Hehehe, or did your mother also pull you home after endless begging and a stream of tears?"

Jason felt his stomach drop. His head grew lighter, his heart skipped several beats, and his grip started to loosen. "W… What…? How did you—"

"As I said, you were allowed to succeed. How beautifully ironic, to be so hellbent on getting into my communications that you fail to double check the security of your own. Speaking of beauty, I wonder about this female associate of yours. Another new member of your 'team' no doubt, but based on what I could gather from your merry little venture through the stars, she seems quite fond of you. I wonder, are you as fond of _her_?"

Jason's blaster began to rattle more rapidly. Axis positioned himself directly in front of his aim, goating him on with his smirk. Jason could feel his finger caress the trigger, but he couldn't make it fire.

Then, he dropped his blaster, feeling the loud clacking sound it made as it collided with the floor. And then, he demorphed. "Power down… I'm sorry, Carter. I got us into this mess."

"What's important now is that we live to fight another day," replied Carter.

"Enough conversation!" stated Axis.

A pair of henchmen came walking down the hall to strip Carter and Jason of their Morphers.

"Now those you certainly won't be needing," Axis said. "Take them into separate cells and continue launch sequencing. We need not waste any additional time in this unkempt Solar System."

"At once, My General." One of the henchmen collected both Morphers and returned to the bridge.

The other restrained Carter and Jason's arms with the same specialized, practically unbreakable, light blue energy cuffs that currently restrained the Queen. They were then brought to the cell block level to share Diane's fate.

Both Rangers were locked away, separate from the Queen herself. Axis did not want to risk any of them conversing and potentially causing problems. Rather, all three were kept far apart, isolated in silence, meant only to see the crimson hues of the floor outside their cell windows.


	11. Chapter 10: Resistance

**Chapter 10: Resistance**

Inside the Astro4 bridge, Ethan, Taylor, and Kendrix tracked Carter and Jason's movements. But once the pair had been captured, their Morpher signatures wiped off the screen, disabling all communication.

A perplexed Ethan nervously tapped on buttons, trying to make the systems respond.

"What's going on?" Taylor looked to Ethan intensely. "Fix it!"

"Working on that! This isn't exactly 21st century tech. I can only do so much."

Kendrix somberly shook her head. "Both Carter and Jason's Morphers have gone offline. I don't think they have them anymore."

"Then we're going in after them." Taylor started rushing out of the bridge.

But before she could make it beyond the bridge doors, the Triforian ship began to rise up while its thrusters flashed a bright white light. The vessel launched into hyper speed and disappeared into the void of space, leaving only a momentary blue crack from its leap across the cosmos.

The trio of remaining Rangers were left with expressions as blank as the black, empty view that now greeted them.

"Carter! Jason! Come in!" Ethan pounded the computer keys, desperately trying to re-establish communications. Nothing would respond.

Taylor walked up to the front of the bridge and intently stared out the front windows. "We have to go after that ship!" She turned to Ethan. "We still have your algorithm, right? We can still use it to track them down."

"Yeah, that's the easy part," Ethan replied. "The real problem comes after. How are we going to save Carter, Jason, and the Queen? If we get too close, they'll shoot us down on the spot. And they could have done that before now if they weren't just playing around with us."

"Maybe we're looking at this in the wrong way." Kendrix thought about some of the communications she picked up from Axis and his crew. "Maybe if we can figure out how the launch system in the cell blocks work, we can have _them_ come to _us_."

"Forced ejection." Taylor slowly nodded. "Can we do that?"

Ethan tightly pressed his lips while he shook his head. "There's no way we're getting into their systems again. You heard the creepy alien dude, they basically held the door open for us this time. But now, they'll encrypt their ship's tech with more code than we can decrypt before alerting them to what we're up to. And that's assuming that decrypting anything even works in the future."

"We should talk to Professor Knox," Kendrix added. "He's got to know a lot more than us time travel tourists ever could. Maybe he can figure out a way to sneak past their defenses."

Taylor sighed and shook her head. "That kid is a real piece of work… All that training went right to his head."

"Huh," Ethan remarked. "So this time, _you_ encouraged the kid?"

Taylor slowly turned around and sharply glared at him. "Does this really feel like the time for one of your insufferable, sarcastic remarks?"

"Not really sarcasm if it's true," mumbled Ethan under his breath.

Taylor marched toward Ethan with a menacing scowl, but Kendrix got in between the two. "I get it, we're all on edge right now. But if we fight amongst ourselves, we won't save anyone. Let's just head back to Earth and figure out our next move, okay?"

Taylor crossed her arms and made her way towards the Astro4's controls. "Fine."

"Fine." Ethan threw his hands in the air and tried to do what we could from his computer.

Taylor began plotting a route back to Earth, but she started having trouble inputting the coordinates. She tried the same sequence of inputs again only to come up with another red error message accompanied by an irritating buzzing sound. She clenched her fists as her frustration boiled over.

Ethan snickered a bit under his breath while Taylor vigorously rubbed her forehead.

Kendrix nudged Ethan and motioned for him to help out. Ethan gave her a strange look, but Kendrix' stare would not waver.

Ethan sighed and reluctantly looked over to Taylor. "We might be able to reverse course from our previous plot. Should be easier. Just sayin'."

Taylor looked back at him while he ran through the coordinate systems on the ship's computer. She wanted to say something, but the changing screen in front of her cut her words off, revealing a bevy of travel options.

"Aaand, there. We're in business. I think I'm getting the hang of this future tech." Ethan looked towards Taylor who rolled her eyes at him. He walked over to her and pointed at the screen. "It's the second option from the left. Just thought you might like to know that."

Taylor took a second before turning to face him. "Thanks. I'll remember that."

"What can I say? Too many video games."

"Heh, figures… Funny thing is, that's actually pretty valuable experience right now. This ship is nothing like the planes I fly."

"Hmm. Sounds like someone wants to learn."

Taylor almost allowed a smile to slip through her rigid expression. "Mission first. Then, I'll kick your ass."

Ethan smiled. "Challenge accepted."

Kendrix nodded contently at the aftermath of her intervention, but her thoughts did not stray far from her captured teammates. All of their thoughts aligned in such a way. But it didn't deter their focus. Complete strangers granted Ranger powers forced to work together to figure out a mysterious threat? All three cleared that hurdle before. All three knew they could clear it again.

Inside the Triforian ship, a total of three prisoners were now in tow while Axis and his crew made the voyage back home.

Within the bridge, the restless crew began murmuring amongst each other in excitable tones. A warrior, anxious to see what his cousins were up. A henchman, content with the simple notion of laying his head down for a night. Fighting had kept the surviving crew members away from home for at least a week by Triforian time.

"We're almost home, My General," said South while carefully monitoring the dual screens on the bridge. On both screens rested an ever growing dot. "Taking us out of warp in 3…2…1… kill the hyperdrive."

"Excellent," Axis replied. "Get me on the line with the Resistance leaders as soon as we land. I'm sure they'll want to be made privy to our many updates."

A collective relief swept over the crew as they could once more gaze upon the green, white, and orange skylines that decorated the Triforian atmosphere. Even the simplistic, monotonous gray of the three orbiting moons added a sense of comfort to the sight. One member of the bridge crew even shed a tear, but quickly wiped it away while looking around, ensuring no one had seen it. The long week had finally ended.

The ship entered the thick, cloudy atmosphere as the view screens displayed towering brown mountains perched upon evergreen hills standing right beside a vast city. The planet Triforia: about 1000 years ago, it was known as a sprawling landmass coated with Gothic architecture. Its peaceful inhabitants formed willing alliances with most, even Earth. One of it's most legendary inhabitants, known as Trey, even lent his assistance to Earth's Zeo Power Rangers.

Most buildings remained the same, but a great deal had changed since those days. The tan skinned, human-like species evolved into larger, stronger beings over the millennia. And two civil wars later, they completed their transition from a land of peace to a land of strength. However, their infamous brute force techniques had yet to win the day in their current conflict.

Axis' ship landed upon a wide, circular docking station near the Central Hill of Triforia, a large and ornate building colored in black and gold with three tall towers jutting out into the sky over a rectangular base. For eons, it has served as the architectural highlight of the city of Dynami: the capital of Triforia and the governmental hub of the planet. Its fitting centralized location left it swimming in a sea of shorter black buildings lined with a familiar gold around every window that matched the battle attire of Triforian Generals. Triforians tended to cling tightly to their history, from their old war stories to their monuments and standing structures. As such, new buildings proved rare, but any built could not be taller than any of the three towers; a law also passed down from generation to generation.

The moment Axis disembarked, he stared upon those very buildings with a heavy sigh, the same ones he'd seen thousands of times. A great deal of them only served to train future warriors and henchmen in the art of combat and warfare at the expense of nearly everything else. He could see it in the far distance, what was once his old school, filled to the brim with painful memories. Even it became repurposed into nothing more than another indoctrination facility.

Further down the docking station, a tall, middle-aged Triforian official clad in black and silver came out the greet him. "General Axis, good to see you have returned unharmed."

"Oh, I did quite a bit better than simply returning, Senator Musso. There will be special guests staying with us for a while."

Musso hid his clear frustration. "I see… So your plan worked after all."

"There's more than one way to fight a war. Not that I'd expect you to understand, Senator. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have an important call to make."

Axis entered the Central Hill and walked through the grey and beige corridors with high reaching ceilings over head, surrounded by the heavily detailed inner architectural designs that had been preserved since the time of Trey; the same windows, pillars, and floors.

Portraits of several major Triforian figures and leaders throughout history featured largely throughout the halls. Axis looked to the left of him, taking in a picture of a man with long dark hair and a devilish frown.

The late General Pyreus: known as the most unrelenting Triforian to ever rule the planet, and the first Triforian to completely master the element of fire. His enemies believed he could melt metal with his thoughts alone, although no living being, Triforian or otherwise, could claim to have seen such a feat. He was also the second to see Axis as anything more than the runt of the Triforian litter. So much so that before his passing, he called on Axis to be his first lieutenant; a role he elevated from just a month ago. This planet became his to lead, alongside the Resistance Pyreus worked tirelessly to construct.

Axis released his gaze from the portrait and took a deep breath. He entered the room to the right of him and pushed a button on the door, alerting the leaders of the nine other major planets and star systems that made up the Resistance. All of their forms suddenly phased into the room by way of blue holographic projections.

The holograms formed a circle around the dark, windowless room as Axis stepped into the center. "Good evening, all. Let us not waste any time. It is vital that we get right to it."

"Agreed," responded one of the older, more mature looking leaders who hailed from the planet Inquirus.

"The raid on Xybria was a disaster!" cried one of the more sizable leaders, a somewhat humanoid T-Rex-like being who hailed from the Andromeda Galaxy. "Not to mention the battle on Mercuria before that! I think Pyreus overestimated you, General."

"Hmph, I'll say!" added a woman with thick green leaves adorning her face and red eyes just barely peering out of them; a Frenovian Vice Admiral. "What's our new plan for this war? My patience grows thin."

Axis half smirked. "I'm glad you asked. But first, allow me to introduce you to our latest ally."

Axis turned around as another, tenth form phased into the circle. Once the hologram became clear, instant chirping began amongst the ranks.

"You let a member of the monarchy into our meeting!?" cried a female leader, a half lizard-like creature who reigned from the planet Horath. "Are you out of your mind!?"

Standing before the Resistance, none other than a waving, smiling Trian, the Xybrian Ambassador. "General Axis. Everyone. Good to be here, good to be here. The Queen didn't suspect a thing, so I'm guessing our plan worked?"

"Indeed," Axis replied. "We were in and out just before the Queen's guards could break through your mental manipulation. Except the one we killed, of course. Excellent work, Trian." He turned his gaze back to the other leaders. "Allies, I have captured the universe's most powerful leader. The same leader who has kept us, all of us, tied down in the locks and chains she dare call liberty."

"You were able to capture the Queen? Impressive," said another, notably younger leader.

Axis looked back at him confused, unable to recall which star system he hailed from. Possibly a recent promotion, not unlike himself.

"But what about the Power Rangers?" added another, much bulkier leader with deep blue skin. Tanger is the planet he called home, a race with more heavily ingrained warrior roots than even Triforia. "I hate to admit it, but everytime we think we've got the Queen pinned, those super-powered soldiers bust us."

"Oh, hehe, them," Axis replied with a shrug. "Well, I have two Rangers captured, both of whom were no match for me. The rest of their team have run off to parts I know not where with their tails firmly between their legs. As for the rest… let's just say they are all buried under too much rubble to be of any concern to us now."

Axis looked around at a room of tense, concerned faces; a room taking in his good news and meeting it with skepticism and doubt. An all too familiar position for the General. "Gentleman, ladies, allies of all persuasions, allow me to ask you a question of the rhetorical variety: Do you know why we've been fighting the same battles for years? We Triforians live and breathe battle. Even our youngest are trained early in the art of savagery… But, a battle is no war. In a _real_ war, the strongest of minds win out, not the strongest of arms. As I told you when I accepted this post, to win this conflict, to truly end it, we need to keep our enemies _on_ their toes, not just break them. But now, we're just about ready to do some breaking as well."

The large dinosaur-like leader nodded and grinned proudly. "Now that's a plan I can get behind! My troops will be ready to fight."

Axis nodded and continued, "There is no doubt that the loyal followers of the Queen have formed countermeasures in anticipation of our final plan. We haven't had a true to form large-scale clash in quite some time. Once the known universe sees our combined might, they will gladly reject the rule of the monarchy. But, hehe, once the Queen herself sees it, the 'unbreakable' Diane Cahill will finally crack and bend to our wishes."

Axis brought up a blue hologram projection of Earth in the center of the room and walked towards it; his eyes keenly focused on the red blip that marked the Queen's palace grounds. "Our first target: the place it all started. We wipe the palace off the map, and, if the Queen refuses our terms, we keep going until even the Earth's grand oceans have shriveled into canyons and craters. The Earthers often speak of Armageddon; the 'end of days'. Heh, we will make them beg, plead for such a fortunate finale. Make any more necessary preparations, all of you. In 3 days time, we invade the Earth."

The other Resistance leaders nodded in approval as their holograms faded away.

Axis walked out of the room with a noticeable struggle in his steps. His pace became slower and slower before he tripped himself up, nearly falling to the floor.

Lieutenant South noticed and ran over to him. "My General, are you alright?"

South tried to help him to walk, but Axis motioned him away and pushed himself forward.

"Yes Lieutenant, I'll be quite alright. Seems that dealing with that Green Ranger drained more of me than I expected." Axis half smiled. "Heh, perhaps there is hope for him yet."

"You need rest, My General. With the invasion only 3 days away, you'll need your strength."

"There will be time for that. But first, we'll need to relocate the prisoners to a more secure location within the city. And should what remains of their team venture here against all common sense, we will be ready."

Axis and South returned to the docking level where Carter, Jason, and Queen Diane exited the ship under restraints.

Axis smirked and spread his arms out wide. "Welcome to Triforia! You three will be our honored guests for the next couple of days."

"You won't get away with what you're doing, Axis!" Carter stated. "You will be stopped!"

"Good, good. I do hope for your sake your resolve holds while you're tortured and left to rot in one of our state of the art prisons. And then, you may bear witness to the end of your kind before I allow you to join them. And do keep any of those annoying heroic escapades in check. You Earther fools couldn't even escape my ship. What hope have you for escaping my planet?"

South bent down to whisper into Axis' ear, "My General, I know we need to Queen, but why not kill the Rangers? I'd gladly handle it myself and present you with their heads."

Axis chuckled slightly while shaking his head. "I never understood the appeal of trophies, Lieutenant. Violence is necessary, but so very trivial. No, I live for the look on a quivering face in the singular moment when hope dashes away, never to return again." He turned around and started leaving the docking deck. "That, and our salvation of course, will be prize enough for me."

Axis motioned to his warriors and henchmen to lead the trio away.

Diane stared painfully at Jason, wondering how he could have been captured as well. "I wish you hadn't come for me. There's no reason for more people to get hurt. And now, not even the Rangers can't stop this lunatic."

One of Axis' henchmen looked left and right before walking closer to Diane. "I wouldn't be so sure about that." He then broke the restraints that held down the prisoners. "Get into the ship, now!"

Carter, Jason, and Diane quickly ran back onto the ship without a second thought while the henchman that freed them took out a blaster and started leveling the other henchmen and warriors. Before they could mount a counter attack, he too ran back inside the ship and sealed the entrance. He then followed the former prisoners through the crimson soaked halls as they made their way up to the bridge.

"We need to get out of here!" cried Carter.

"I didn't see our Morphers leave the ship," Jason added. "There's a good chance they're still on board."

From just beyond the docking station, Axis and his men were stopped by the blaring of red alert sirens. Just as soon, Axis received a communication about the recent event from one of his henchmen.

"WHAT?!" Axis' blood began to boil as a vein in his forehead started to convulse. He then faced Lieutenant South. "Grab a squadron immediately! Stop those insubordinates!"

"A-At once, My General!" South signaled a squadron of four warriors to follow him back up to the docking level.

Axis thought to follow them, but then stopped, caught his breath, and thought through the situation. _A mole in my ranks no doubt… A mole who likely knows everything I've been planning… Hmm…_

The quartet of escaped persons made it to the bridge. Jason immediately rushed to the controls to try and find a way to launch the ship. His hand hovered over a button, but he couldn't bring himself to press it. He thought about pulling a handle, but that seemed wrong too.

"Jason, can we launch?" asked Carter.

"Some of these control panels look… familiar-ish…" Jason finally started pushing some buttons. "Let's hope this works."

In response, the engines started revving up and the ship started lifting from the docking bay.

Carter looked out the window, quickly discovering several tall silver towers emerging from the floor and surrounding the area. Large plasma cannons sprung out from the tops of the towers and locked onto the ship. "Oh no. Guys, city weapons are hot and pointed right at us. We need to move and move now."

The mysterious savior then ran up to the control panel, gently nudging Jason out of the way. "Trust me, I know how to fly this thing. And those city guns are powerful, but this ship is designed for war. They'll need more than that to take us down."

Jason stared up and down at their mysterious savior. "And who exactly are you…?"

"Introductions later. Escape now." He pushed a series of buttons in quick succession, uploading a navigation program onto the ship. The back thrusters started blasting and with a loud crack, the ship flew past the Triforian stratosphere and back into the depths of space.

The henchman in appearance only sighed in relief. "Good thing coordinates for Earth were already programmed in. That made things a bit easier. Okay, I think we should be safe now."

The others looked at him with varying degrees of perplexity. Then, he removed his helmet. Diane didn't react to the face of the man. Carter and Jason however were both floored by the sight.


	12. Chapter 11: Growing

**Chapter 11: Growing**

Diane, Carter, and Jason continued to hurdle through space inside Axis' confiscated ship after a mysterious savior aided in their escape. Their savior turned out to be a human male, one that Jason and Carter quickly recognized.

"There's no way… Wes?" asked Carter.

The man with slicked back brown hair and a seemingly unmovable icy stare looked around at everyone. "My name is Alex. I'm a Time Force Officer. I've been secretly tracking the comings and goings of General Axis in an attempt to disrupt his operations from the inside."

"Alex…?" Carter looked lost before turning to Jason.

Jason carefully whispered to him, "Carter, it'll be another ten years before he's supposed to meet Wes. Alex is one of what I imagine are many, many descendants of the man we're familiar with. But it's kind of against the law to talk future stuff. Mother made that rule after time travel became a thing."

Carter slowly nodded his head in understanding. "So… Alex, is there anything you can tell us about General Axis that can help us now?"

Alex nodded. "I believe it would be more efficient to tell your entire team all at once. His plans affect us all, and it'll be _on_ us to see that he doesn't carry them through 3 days from now."

Jason's stomach dropped thinking about the worry he must have created among his teammates. He could already clearly picture the scalding frown Taylor would surely give him once the team reunited. "We better get in communication with the others so they know we're alright and headed their way. And also, so nobody tries to shoot down this borrowed ship when we arrive."

Diane interjected, "Best to leave this ship at the Moonbase for now. And what do you mean by others? Survivors from the Academy attack?"

Carter sighed and shook his head. "Not that we know of. I'm sorry. And because of that, we had to create a new team of Rangers from out of time, all more than capable of handling themselves."

Diane turned to Jason, staring sharply at his unmorphed Chronic Storm uniform. "What did I tell you about cosplaying? And why were you even aboard Axis' ship to begin with…? Wait…" Diane's eyes widened before swinging her gaze to Carter. "Please don't tell me…"

"Mother…" Jason took a deep breath. "I'm sort of a Power Ranger, ehehe…"

Diane's wide eyes quickly became a scowl still directed at Carter. "After all the faith, the trust, I placed in you… You have ten seconds to explain yourself before I try you for treason!"

"I know how important your son is to you," Carter replied. "I told him the risks, but he still wanted to help save you."

"...Very well." Diane turned back to Jason, her glare unchanged. "Take that uniform off this instant. I will not repeat myself."

Jason stood stunned, but unsurprised, by his mother's insistence "B-But…"

"This is not up for debate. All it would take is one stray shot, one mistake, for me to have failed as a parent. Unlike your adorable archives, the people who wear _those_ colors often _don't_ come back. Have I made myself clear?"

Jason bowed his head and said nothing, surrendering himself to his mother's unwavering words. He remembered Carter trying to tell him something similar before. But, the Power Rangers never lose. The conflicting thoughts wrapped around his head, tightening like a stiff, cold metal coil.

"Look at me directly when I address you. Have I made myself clear?"

Jason slowly looked back up at Diane. "Y-Yes, mother…"

"Good. We will discuss this further later." Diane turned to Carter. "We'll need a new weapon for this fight and the Moonbase has the only known blueprints for it. We have fought and wept and bleed so very much for decades simply to establish peace. I refuse to watch General Axis taint our universe with this prolonged war any further."

Carter nodded. "Knowing you, I probably shouldn't hold my breath for Zords."

"Naturally. I've made it quite clear why I detest those clunky machines."

A few moments later, the ship exited hyperspace to reveal Earth's moon and the Moonbase that accompanied it. The color white defined the heavily fortified weapons station and testing area used to develop and perfect many high-risk technological advancements. Naturally, the public needed to be kept in the dark about many of these projects. Inside these very walls, Professor Knox successfully tapped into the Morphing Grid, following that up by developing the Chronic Storm powers.

Diane turned to Carter. "Has your team brought Professor Knox to the Moonbase?"

"Yes, he's with them now."

"Good. He's the only one who can finish developing the weapon we'll need."

The ship landed inside the dark grey hanger of the Moonbase, a hangar filled with all types of bizarre looking ships, most of which were experimental and incapable of sustained flight. The passengers came out to a warm greeting by most of the team.

Ethan walked over to Jason with a smile while shaking his head. "Dude, great to see you again, but what were you thinking? Taylor was having conniptions up here."

Jason solemnly nodded. "Yeah… wasn't really thinking."

Taylor walked up to Jason with arms crossed and a searing glare. Jason raised his hand to speak but Taylor motioned him to shush. "Toddler." She turned around and walked away.

Jason knew he couldn't speak out. He had to take it, bear it, and hopefully, learn from it.

"Brutal." Ethan patted Jason on the back. "But hey, you lived."

"Heh, thanks Ethan."

"Guys." Carter stepped aside to present Diane. "It's truly a pleasure to introduce you all to Queen Diane."

Diane nodded to them. "No time for pleasantries. I need to discuss current affairs with Professor Knox. But allow me to say thank you, all of you, for going out of your way in the service of all we hold dear." She walked past the team and towards the laboratory area.

"I need to report to Captain Logan," said Alex.

Carter pointed down the hall. "There should be a communications array set up just down this hall and to the right."

Alex nodded and marched towards the array.

"And who is he?" asked Ethan.

"He's the guy that saved us," replied Carter.

"The Time Force Rangers some of us know about come from the year 3000," Jason added. "He's working for a younger form of the organization. Professor Knox collaborated with many of their top physicists to help develop our time warp technology."

"Time Force?" asked Kendrix.

Jason giggled a bit. "Now that's a story. It all started wi—"

"Enough," Taylor firmly stated. "Start focusing on _this_ time, while we still have it."

"She's right," Carter said. "Let's go see what Professor Knox is preparing for us."

The team started to walk towards the lab with Jason tailing behind a bit slower, hampered by a sudden sting of sullenness. He hadn't noticed it before, but his uniform seemed too loosely fitting, almost as if to remind him of where he stood.

Kendrix turned back towards Jason with a look of understanding. She slowed her pace to walk alongside him. And then, her smile; just as warm and as soothing as when he had first seen it. "It figures that you'd go off and get yourself rescued right before we had a chance to plan something of our own."

But Jason looked upon her calming expression half-heartedly. What had always filled him with assurance now only served to add to his guilt. He didn't deserve such a smile. "Kendrix… I… it's great to see you."

"You too. You really had us worried there."

Jason turned his gaze away. "Because of me… we almost lost everything. I was arrogant and rash and I completely ignored your clever 'ten shoulders' point and thought that all I needed was a bit of training and a Morpher and everything would just—"

Kendrix placed her hand on his shoulder. "But we didn't lose everything, did we? You may have been all of those things, but your were also brave. And you cared more about keeping us safe than trying to finish Axis. And now, we have a new friend and the Queen, both safe."

Jason looked back at Kendrix, his sullen outlook slowly giving way to her brighter take. He wondered what type of sorcery she used to hand stitch these silver linings.

"But next time, let's try and do this together," Kendrix added. "If we can do that, Axis won't stand a chance, I promise."

Jason smiled and nodded. "You're right. Thanks, Kendrix… Uhh… I…" His words came out with a shaking, nervous twinge as he tried to recapture his focus.

His struggle was not lost on Kendrix, who tried to guide his shattered thoughts, "Yes?"

"I, uhh… I like… your glasses."

"Oh, these old things?" Kendrix gently adjusted her round, fairly plain eyewear. "Hehe, thanks. They were on sale, so I bought two pairs. I like yours too."

"Yeah? Thanks." Jason finally managed to relax a bit. Somehow, his lack of nerve seemed to benefit him when it came to her. Perhaps in her time, dorky _is_ suave. "The lens are made of specialized reflective nanofibers that have a program built in that automatically adjusts to the vision of the user."

Kendrix took a moment before smiling understandingly. "Hehe, right, future glasses."

The team then entered the main lab of the Moonbase; a large space with thick, greenhouse-like windows gracing the high ceilings. But the ground level contained relatively rustic facilities. Old machines, computers, random assortments of chemicals, and workstations everywhere, but few looked as if they had been used in years; as if there no more than three workers stationed here at any given time. Just inside, Professor Knox and Queen Diane were caught in the middle of a heated exchange.

"Moral obligations aside, we need this weapon developed, Professor, or unmitigated death and destruction are all we will wake up to in 3 days time!"

"But… but…" Knox could barely reply under the force of Diane's insistence.

"We can ill afford to spend time on doubts and reservations. Develop the weapon to these specifications or I'll find someone who can."

Carter stepped into the room. "What's going on here?"

"Carter." Diane looked towards him. "You are one of the finest leaders the universe has ever known, both in this time and yours. So you would understand the notion of doing whatever is necessary to defeat your opponent."

"I do understand. But you'll need to fill me in on what exactly this weapon does."

Knox added on, still in visible discomfort as he explained, "I can handle that much… To keep things simple, it's a laser designed by a former colleague of mine that doesn't use heat, but chemical targeting. Through its chemical targeting system, a ship or a building would be spared of any harm if fired upon. Only the living beings inside would suffer, thus allowing troops to scavenge for viable resources and fully functional parts once the battle is won. For obvious ethical reasons, the project was scrapped years ago."

Knox took a deep breath and continued his explanation, "However, I'm afraid it doesn't stop at standing structures… In theory… this weapon could even wipe out all life on an entire planet in a single shot."

"Wait, an entire planet!?" reacted Ethan.

Diane sighed, visibly annoyed.

"Mother, you can't use something like that!" Jason stated. "If we can justify a move like that, how are we any different than our enemies?"

Diane shook her head. "None of you have seen what I've seen, have stuck your hands in enough mud and gunk that not even the pigs will look at you… I built and have maintained this kingdom on the principles of sacrifice and necessary measures. We cannot stop the fervor of General Axis with a diplomatic round table discussion and a couple kumbayas. We need a decisive blow to his forces."

The room went dead silent; the team left speechless by the declaration. None could put together a proper retort before Carter cut through the pause.

"And what if other planets see this as unnecessary?" he asked. "Will you threaten to fire on them if they don't agree with the way you're choosing to handle this?"

Diane stared sharply at him. "I assumed you of all people would understand my position, Carter. I didn't call upon you to lead Chronic Storm because you were some sort of flower child."

Taylor stood next to him. "I'm with Carter."

Diane stared up and down at Taylor with a striking combination of confusion and frustration. "And just who the hell are you?"

Taylor scowled right back at Diane. "A Ranger who volunteered to be here, in case that wasn't clear."

"Okay look," Carter preemptively stood in between the two. "I want General Axis out of the way too, we all do. But please, I'm begging you, as a loyal supporter of all you've helped build, to reconsider."

Carter turned to face the rest of his team. "Maybe you're right… Maybe, this is the only way…" He turned back to face Diane. "But I'm willing to bet that it's not. We Rangers came here for a mission. We started this thing. The least we can ask is for you to let us finish it."

The team nodded their heads in firm agreement and support of their leader.

Diane looked around at their uniform and unchanging expressions and sighed. "Very well. We will continue to develop this technology as a last resort, in the off-chance that it is needed. I believe in you Rangers. If it seemed that I didn't based on what I proposed, then I apologize. Now go, go and stop that man."

Carter nodded. "Ma'am, it'll be our pleasure."

"However, you'll be doing so without the assistance of my son. He's had his fun, and thankfully, he has remained unharmed in spite of his stupidity. I appreciate the added burden you all took on by looking after him, but that job belongs to me and me alone."

"Queen Diane," started Kendrix with a gently raised hand. "If I may—"

"You may not." Diane stared at Jason. "My son, it's time for you to go home. Take off that uniform."

Jason's head dropped, his hands shaking as he looked upon his Morpher. "Mother… please…"

"Ma'am," Carter quickly interjected. "Without him, we're down to four Rangers. We can't afford that right now and we don't have time to recruit a replacement."

Just then, Alex entered the lab and rejoined the group. "Rangers, I just finished communicating with Captain Logan. Time Force is ready to assist you in any way possible."

Diane chuckled a bit. "Oh look, I believe I've found you a replacement."

"Replacement…?" Alex looked around with an unchanged expression.

"Yes. As Queen, I hereby declare that you, Alex, shall take on the mantle of Green Ranger 5."

Alex nodded. "If you command it, I will accept. Whatever it takes to save the universe."

Diane sighed in relief. "My son, do not make me repeat myself."

Jason slowly shook his dropped head and started dragging his feet towards Alex.

But then, Taylor walked in front of him, wearing an intense stare. "What the hell are you doing?"

"Taylor… I can't—"

"You took on this mission to finish it, right?"

"Excuse you!" Diane stated firmly. "I don't recall granting you permission to speak out."

Taylor stared back at her. "And I don't recall asking for it. Maybe you missed that while you were green-lighting genocide." Taylor looked back at Jason and pressed her index finger into his chest. "For once in your life, grow up."

Jason stood wide-eyed and floored by Taylor's fervent show of support. Surely she'd be the _most_ approving of his mother's decision.

Taylor stepped out of his way, her eyes fixed on what Jason's next move would be. The others held their collective breath while Jason became caught inside Diane's impatient stare.

But his eyes did not look away. He slowly walked towards her. "Mother… please, listen to me… I'm 24 years old. I'm not gonna be a kid forever. Heck, I shouldn't be a kid _now_ … This is what I want to do. And, I'm gonna do it… Someday, I'm gonna protect the universe your way. I'll go to the boring meetings, sign a bunch of documents, and wave at strangers on the streets. But today, I'm a Power Ranger. You always taught me to be loyal to your word, to see your commitments through. So I'm not backing out now. What kind of future King would I be if I did?"

Diane looked upon her son's novel determination with masked pride, shadowed by an unmoved expression while she took in his words. Her neck began to agitate her. She wore the price of such unfiltered resolve on her person three times over. But even still, something inside kept her from speaking out. Even with her mouth slightly ajar, she couldn't push the words past her lips.

Alex nodded and looked back to Diane. "Queen Diane. With respect, I think I would serve the cause best by staying with Time Force. This team already has a capable Green Ranger."

"Capable is a strong word," Taylor said with the slightest of smirks. "He's just a kid."

Jason sighed but then looked back at Taylor with a confused expression. "Wait, wasn't I a toddler before?"

Taylor gently shook her head. "Not anymore."

Jason smiled and subtly nodded to himself proudly while gazing up at nothing in particular.

"They grow up fast, eh Queen?" asked Ethan.

Diane glared at him and Ethan quickly looked away.

"Okay," Carter looked to Alex. "So what more can you tell us about Axis that we don't already know?"

"I know that he and the Resistance are planning a large scale battle to definitively end this war. Our allies have already started to prepare countermeasures to the impending threat of an attack, but they're in the dark regarding the exact number of systems under the influence of Axis. I was never able to track down that information."

Carter thought through the situation. "If we can get to Axis and capture him, we can force a surrender."

"It could work," Kendrix replied. "But how are we going to get to him in Triforia? They know we took his ship and they'll be on high alert until their next attack."

"We might just have to stand our ground and fight," Alex added. "The allied forces will be here by tomorrow. Troops from Mercuria, KO-35, Sirius 2, and a few lesser known systems will join ours. If we can beat them, we can end the war on our terms."

As the Rangers continued to discuss their plans, a loud, booming sound rang out from the far end of the Moonbase. A slight tremor shook the lab floor, rattling the equipment and shutting down a handful of active computer screens. Everyone grabbed hold of something solid as alert sirens blasted throughout the Moonbase corridors accompanied by flashing red lights.


	13. Chapter 12: Arrival

**Chapter 12: Arrival**

The team raced through the Moonbase halls to track down the booming sound. Just as soon, a second, even louder blast could be heard from the other side of the base. Another, faster alarm started to blare as flashing red lights continued to coat the hallways, indicating that hostile forces had breached the base.

"Was that a second blast?" asked Ethan.

"Could be enemies coming in from both sides," Carter replied. "Jason, Kendrix, go check it out. We'll keep following the first blast."

"On it," Jason replied as he and Kendrix broke off from the group and headed towards the other side of the base.

The remaining three Rangers kept moving swiftly through the hallways, eventually reaching a large, white, octagon-shaped room where a sizable hole in the wall gave way to General Axis, First Lieutenant South, and a ten man Triforian warrior platoon.

"Greetings, Rangers," said Axis.

"Guys, let's Ranger up!" ordered Carter as the team fell in line. "Ready?"

"Ready!" The others responded in unison.

"Chronic Storm, Ranger form!" they cried together as they morphed into the Chronic Storm Power Rangers.

Axis scoffed at their battle cries and motioned his warriors to attack.

The ten warrior line started to charge at the Rangers.

The trio pulled out their Chronic Blasters and started firing upon the forces.

The frazzled warriors used their arms to shield themselves from the onslaught of red lasers while continuing to push forward.

The Rangers then charged back while continuing to fire before pushing back the warriors one by one with a series of well placed punches and kicks. The trio continued to move quickly against their larger foes, turning their size against them by dodging the heavy Triforian blows. Haymaker after Triforian haymaker whiffed, leaving the warriors frustrated while their armor slowly chipped away under the heat of the blasts.

Axis tapped his foot impatiently as he watched his warriors go down without so much as landing a shot. South wanted to intervene, but Axis motioned him to stay put.

"Chronic Blasters, full power!" said Carter while the others lined up next to him.

The warriors started to pick themselves up.

"Center your shot towards the middle of the wave and we can combine the strength of our blasters!"

The team charged up their Chronic Blasters until all three became coated in a bright red hue. Then, they fired them together towards a single spot right in front of the warriors. Their shots fused together into a large orange ball of energy which struck down the warriors, leaving all ten to wriggle, squirm, and groan as their attempts to pick themselves up proved fruitless.

"Hmm, I know what you all must be thinking," said Axis with a confident smirk. "A bit early, am I? We had 3 days! However, due to a very recent act of treachery, I needed to adjust accordingly. And now, my forces, along with the soldiers of all the Resistance star systems, are coming here, today, to end your precious Earth. When the battle starts, we will overrun those who dare stand in our way. When the battle ends, this universe will know the freedom of self-rule and independence once more."

"Man, he talks a _lot_ ," said Ethan.

Axis launched a string of lighting towards the Rangers, knocking them back and surrounding them in a thin cloud of smoke. "Do not interrupt me while I address you."

Axis started moving towards the Rangers but stopped when he realized that Taylor had pushed herself up. She drove her legs forward as fast as they could take her towards Axis while cocking back her fist.

Axis easily dodged Taylor's swing. "Ha! You Rangers still can't even hit m—"

Taylor quickly turned around and threw a follow up punch that landed right on Axis' chin, stunning him. "Shut up already."

Axis rubbed his partly scraped chin. "Don't let that blow get to your head, girl!" He revealed his own blaster from behind him and prepared to fire it.

Just as soon, the combined might of the other two Chronic Blasters shot the weapon out of Axis' hand.

The trio of Rangers started to surround the General. Lieutenant South sought to join the fight once more, but again, Axis waved him off.

"Surrender yourself, now!" ordered Carter. "And call off the invasion of Earth!"

"Hehehe," Axis smirked confidently once more. "You truly believe you have power over _me_? Or did you fail to decipher that my men came in from two different sides? No, you must have figured that much out. That's where the boy and the Pink one are heading, no? Too bad they're both being led astray."

"Pssh, he's sounding desperate to me," said Ethan.

" _Very_ desperate," added Taylor.

"Is that right?" Axis looked towards South. "Lieutenant, now's the time."

"Yes, My General."

South walked towards the Rangers while gathering his bladed staff into his tightly clenched hands.

Meanwhile, Jason and Kendrix tracked down the source of the second explosion all the way to the Moonbase's hanger. But more than ships occupied the area currently. Triforian henchmen and warriors alike were dismantling every vessel they could find, turning even the flightless experimental models into burnt metallic heaps under the scorch of their blasters. And now, they had their sights set on the Astro4.

"Not today!" Jason charged the hordes of Triforians alongside Kendrix.

"Chronic Storm, Ranger form!" they both cried as they transformed into Ranger mode.

Jason ran slightly ahead of her and directly towards a warrior. The warrior prepared to strike, but then Jason held tight to his arms.

Kendrix followed up by leaping off Jason's back and drop kicking the warrior, sending him head first into the stiff floor.

Another warrior came running after them while henchmen started to escape in the background. The Ranger pair took to the air and performed a combination kick, throwing the warrior off his feet and to the floor.

The others continued to scatter, returning to their own black crafts and leaving the Rangers behind.

"That was too easy," said Kendrix.

"Agreed. There's gotta be more to it," Jason replied. "Let's check the lab and make sure everyone else is alright."

Jason and Kendrix ran towards the main lab. Along the way, they noticed walls marked up with a great deal of burn marks, and even a few blood stains. The canvas painted a clear picture of conflict, and yet, no Triforians. The pair increased their speed.

Soon, they found Alex fighting off a henchman; their arms locked in a pure power struggle.

Kendrix and Jason swiftly unholstered their Chronic Blasters and shot the henchman to the ground.

The henchman quickly picked himself up and scurried away with a confident look about him.

Alex clutched at his chest while trying to catch his breath. He wiped away a cut mark on the right side of his face as the pair came to check on him.

"Are you alright?" asked Kendrix.

"Triforians are tough, but nothing I can't handle," replied Alex.

"Can you run?" asked Jason.

Alex nodded.

"Good, then let's keep moving."

The three continued to make their way down the flashing red corridors of the Moonbase. When they finally made it to the main lab, computers had been torn open and tossed to the floor, beakers had been cracked, and strange chemicals had been littered on the ground. And yet, not a single henchmen or warrior could be found. The next discovery proved more troubling: the battered and bloodied Queen Diane lying upon the ground in anguish.

Jason ran over to help her up. "Mother! What happened here?"

Diane's eyes sprung open. Her body trembled as she forced her words through weakened breaths, "I was… stupidly caught off guard… I'll be fine, but… they took Professor Knox."

Kendrix came over to help Jason lift Diane up. "The others must have General Axis subdued by now."

"That's right," Jason added. "We still have leverage."

Diane sighed. "That man… will not let capture deter his endeavors… He will continue the invasion, even if it means his life…"

"Alex," said Kendrix. "Can you get the Queen to safety while we rejoin our team?"

Alex nodded. "Consider it done."

"The Astro4 is still flyable," added Jason.

Alex walked over and lifted Diane up before making his way out and towards the hangar.

Jason and Kendrix then left the lab and ran back towards where the others were fighting Axis.

"Jason, from what I can tell, I don't think Earth's allies will be able to make it here before Axis' allies do. Can the Earth hold off until then?"

Jason thought about the question. "I'm not sure… And, worst case scenario, if they find out about that weapon, they could force Knox to build it. Even our allies wouldn't be enough then."

"Axis might be willing to die for his cause, but that doesn't mean his people will let that happen. Maybe we can use him to save the Professor."

"That could work! Triforians are known for their fierce loyalty to their military leaders."

Kendrix and Jason returned to the white octagonal room. They froze in place as they took in the sight of loaded blasters in the hands of Triforian warriors aimed at their person. The others laid demorphed and restrained behind the warriors; all three slathered with blood, sweat, and several cuts around their face. Their uniforms had also been torn in several spots.

A heavy breathing, battle weary Lieutenant South, also marked in cuts and scrapes, stood right next to the trio with fresh blood dripping off his bladed staff.

Axis presided in the center of it all as he smirked at the two returning Rangers. "Look who's returned. The boy who I let live _and_ escape. Quite the mouthful. We had a lovely little chat while you were away. Shall I fill you in?"

Jason wanted to move, but could barely lift his trembling feet; teetering him to the ground like training weights. He looked to Kendrix. Her legs weren't shaking. Her breathing wasn't heavy. He could tell from behind her black visor that her eyes continually darted around, scanning every inch of the room while trying to think of a viable strategy, if one existed. Her veteran calmness began to alleviate Jason's panicked response and steady his lower body.

Axis impatiently started walking towards the pair. "Usually, I'd just be rid of people like you who get in my way over and over again. However." Axis stared directly at Jason. "I'm curious about you. I'm curious about how much you can endure before your rebellion wears thin. It's rare to see such reckless abandon from someone born of privilege. Was all this but a ruse? An act? Or does this royal brat have true fight in him? Hmm, I am so very curious."

"Oh yeah?" Jason asked while getting into his fighting stance. "Why don't you call off your warriors and let's find out?"

"Ha! Very good, Green Ranger. Very good. Even _you're_ having some fun now. But no." Axis signaled to his warriors to keep their blasters steady. "Now that I have your attention, I'd like you both to demorph, either voluntarily, or forcibly."

The pair both looked at each other. Kendrix nodded and Jason nodded back. Both powered down.

Axis then made a hand motion to a pair of his warriors. They grabbed and restrained Kendrix, but not Jason.

"Hey!" Jason cried. "What the hell are you doing to her!?"

"We're going to play a little game." Axis replied. "I'm going to leave those three back on Earth to get a good seat from which to watch the end of the Earth. And then, I'll use this Pink Ranger to satisfy my curiosity. I must be quick about it however, as my allies will soon arrive." Axis motioned for Carter, Ethan, and Taylor to be taken away.

"No you don't!" Jason ran towards them, but one of the warriors immediately slammed him to the floor and pinned him there.

Jason could only watch as the Triforians forcibly dragged Carter, Ethan, and Taylor away. He struggled to break free from the pin as his breathing became more and more taxing under the crushing weight of the warrior. Lying on the floor, that familiar, helpless feeling crept up over Jason's shoulder and started tossing his insides about. Just as soon, a sudden thought cut through his mind, a thought of what it would have looked like to have stayed home. It felt pretty close to curfew. A soft, comfortable bed would have been there to greet him. As the air left his body and the blood left his brain, Jason became more and more uncertain of what he was doing here, masquerading as a hero.

Axis walked over to Jason's pinned body. "Oh, and thank you kindly for not getting a scratch on my ship. You've honestly taken better care of it than many of my most trusted men would have."

Lieutenant South received a communication before walking over to Axis. "The Resistance forces have started to assemble over the Earth's surface. What are their orders, My General?"

"Excellent. However, we shall hold them over the palace grounds for now."

"My General?" South looked confused. "I'm not sure I understand."

"This invasion has been years in the making, Lieutenant. I want to be there when the Kingdom crumbles. But first, some fun." Axis zapped Kendrix with a lightning surge leaving her groaning and crying in pain.

The bright light stung Jason's eyes while her cries burned his ears. The heavy warrior pinning him made every breath a fight, like blades to his lungs gashing him open from the inside. He shook desperately, trying to break away, but could barely move. With what little air he could access, he could only shout out, "Leave her alone!"

Axis gazed upon Jason's feeble, meaningless struggles and grinned widely. "Hehehe. Now do you see, Lieutenant? There are so few feelings as pleasurable as this. I wonder if my former oppressors could lay claim to such enjoyment when I stood at their mercy? I'd ask them, heh, if I could. But you know, that was one of my weaker blasts. In her unmorphed state, I wonder how much she can handle before The Reaper comes knocking?"

Jason still couldn't remove the warrior pinning him down. "You… so much as touch her again… you psychopath… and I'll END you!"

Axis' could feel his heart flutter a bit. A strange sensation. He had been threatened nearly all his life, but here, he almost felt pride in hearing it. He crouched down next to Jason, staring down at his floor-ridden body. "Now, we're getting somewhere."

Axis grabbed Jason's hair and forced him to look directly at his face. "I will only ask you this once, so it would greatly behoove you to listen up and listen well. Where is time warp technology?"

"Time warp…? What…?"

"I can understand your confusion. Why not ask the old man? After all, he was primarily responsible for re-discovering a breakthrough once thought lost. Unfortunately, my men have informed me that not even the threat of death is causing him to so much as fret, and why should it? He has lived a long life and has lost most of those dear to him. So he does not fear death."

Axis nodded while thinking about the resolve of Knox. "A man more willing to die than to assist those he opposes… Yes, I can respect that. But something tells me, and mind you, this is just an intuition, that if I threaten _her_ life, you'll more than open up about the secrets."

Jason looked to Kendrix while his eyes began to cloud with misty tears. _Dammit…! Why do I have to make these choices? I… I shouldn't even be here..._

Kendrix' body could hardly move while propped up against a wall, but still, her resolve held. "Don't give him anything, Jason… If he gets that technology, every timeline will be in danger."

Jason could feel his own resolve slowly seeping back into him; the will of Kendrix forcibly tugging his forward. He knew that he shouldn't be here. But he is. He knew that he might never see that bed of his again. So be it. He looked directly at Axis with defiant eyes. "You… heard her, Axis! You'll… never get your hands on that tech!"

Axis shook his head in disappointment. "Looks like someone requires a bit more convincing." He aimed for Kendrix and shot a more powerful lightning blast at her.

The electricity brightly coursed through her body as she cried out in pain again. The crossfire almost struck some of his nearby warriors while others knew to get further away from the white crackles and sparks. And with a gentle thud, her steaming form became plastered against the floor; her fingers barely able to twitch.

"My General!" South got in front of Axis, forcing him to power down his lightning glove. "You've been fighting for too long. You cannot keep this up!"

But Axis moved him to the side. "I will not give in to these Earthers! Not now, not when our goals are so close to fruition. Warrior!" Axis turned to face the warrior pinning down Jason. "Make him look her dead in the eyes."

The warrior dragged Jason up and held tightly to his body, crushing his rib cage under the immense force of his arms. Jason's closed eyelids quivered, afraid to bear witness to the sight. But still, he forced them open.

The searing image of Kendrix' uniform tearing apart from the electrical burns stabbed his retinas. Scorch marks, gashes, cuts, all draped against her face and body adding to the canvas of torture painted by the General.

Kendrix could barely breathe, but even now, her resolve did not diminish; her weak voice still venting her defiance from the floor, "You… won't… win…"

Jason's eyes began to well up before tears streamed down his cheeks, gutted by the feeling of guilt. "Kendrix…! I'm so sorry…! I dragged you into this mission and now… I… I don't know what to do…!" His head dipped down. "I'm sorry…"

"Ah yes, I know that face well," Axis said with a gentle nod. "The face of a man broken."

Jason closed his eyes and shook his head. "I'm… just a kid…"

"Now, will you rescind your previous answer, Green Ranger?"

Jason remained silent.

"Hmm, one more push then." General Axis rotated the metallic glove, turning it to its highest setting.

"My General, you mustn't!" South got back in front of him. "I have watched you barely come back from the brink of death after using that level of electrical power! I refuse to witness that a second time!"

Axis delayed to consider South's words. "Perhaps you are right, Lieutenant…" Axis powered down his lightning. He then quickly grabbed his blaster and shot Kendrix' leg.

"AAAAAAHHHH!" she screamed as the blaster round cut right through to her bone.

The sounds, the screams, all caused Jason's body to shake uncontrollably.

The warrior holding him down needed to concentrate more while beads of sweat starting dripping down his face and arms. He could feel Jason's body temperature starting to increase somehow.

Axis loaded up his blaster for another shot before turning to Jason. "Luckily for me, I don't always need depend on lightning to get the job done. I don't believe I need explain what will happen to her if I should, by chance, aim a tad higher? Now, do I have your cooperation, Green Ranger?"

Jason's body kept shaking. And then, a thin, white steam started to arise from his skin. Hotter and hotter, his temperature continued to elevate, but he could barely think straight enough to wonder why.

The warrior holding him down started truly feeling the heat as his grip began to slowly give way to a most unnatural searing pain.


	14. Chapter 13: Time

**Chapter 13: Time**

The Kingdom of Earth began assembling its own forces to defend the city of Neo Angles and the Queen's palace. Hundreds of men and woman stood just outside the city walls, armed and ready to face the threat should it cross their rocky borders to the west. Their eyes and bodies trembled upon seeing the fleet above; a line of vessels draped across the midday sky, hovering overhead like thick, dark clouds settling into a storm. Each could sense the fear exuded by the next, knowing they could be wiped out in mere moments. But still, they marched forward, as is their duty.

Robots, humans, and several alien species normally ran many of the day to day functions within and around the city with flying commercial vehicles up above and down on the streets. But on this day, only panic and chaos paved the busy roads. The civilians looking up above were all made morbidly aware of the foreboding fleet staring down upon them from the stratosphere.

Carter, Ethan, and Taylor touched down on the Earth's surface under the watch of a handful of Axis' warriors and henchmen. The Triforians shook in agitation as they surrounded the Rangers; their blasters rattling with anticipation in their hands while they sneered and snickered. The trio instinctively grabbed at their wrists, only to feel nothing. Even still, they prepared to fight.

Just as soon, a bevy of lasers fired from the skies blew the warriors and henchmen off the surface. The Ranger trio shielded themselves from the recoil, only to open their eyes and realize that their captors were no more.

"Uhh… what just happened?" Ethan asked. "Friendly fire?"

"No." Carter pointed up to where the Astro4 appeared soaring through the sky. "It's the Megaship!"

The Astro4 landed near the trio and they quickly boarded. The ship took off just as soon, flying towards the city while the Rangers ran up to the bridge to greet Alex.

"Alex! Great timing," said Carter.

"Sorry to keep you guys waiting, but I couldn't risk a direct confrontation until you were far enough away from the ships still on the horizon."

"So, what's the plan?" Ethan asked. "We do have one, right?"

Alex nodded. "We're heading to Time Force Headquarters. They just informed me of a recent transmission that sounds important."

"A transmission?" Carter asked. "From who?"

"We're still figuring that out."

Carter nodded. "Let's hope it's good news."

Not too much time passed before the Astro4 touched down on the silver, square landing dock of Time Force HQ near the center of Neo Angles. After Professor Knox uncovered the lost secrets of time travel years ago, a motion needed to be passed to ensure the responsible use and monitoring of this potentially devastating rediscovery. In response, Time Force came to be, an organization retrofitted from what was once just a Police Department. Knox would go on to work with Time Force for the better part of a decade to develop his first of now two temporal vortexes. And Captain Logan, a former political associate of Queen Diane, stepped up to head the organization.

Once the Astro4 landed, Alex and the Rangers were immediately met by other members of Time Force, including the Captain himself. Logan was a relatively tall man with short brown hair and a couple stands of white mixed in.

Alex saluted him.

Logan saluted back. "Alex, great to see you alive and well."

"Thank you, sir. Have we made progress on the transmission that was sent to us?"

"We have. Rangers, right this way."

Logan lead the Rangers down a series of dark silver halls. He continued to update the team as they walked, "It took us a while, even our best and brightest, to descramble the message. It seems to come from neither this time, nor this dimension."

"Not this dimension?" Ethan asked. "Time is one thing, but that's new."

Logan looked back at the Rangers. "We don't have much data on it ourselves, but are any of you Rangers familiar with a place called Corinth?"

"Corinth…?" Taylor wore a puzzled expression.

Carter's face lit up. "The transmission! It must be from Doctor K!"

"Doctor K? So you know the sender?" asked Logan.

"Yes, sir. She must have figured out our Morphing Grid dilemma."

The group arrived at the doors leading to Time Force Central Command. As soon as they automatically slid open, the palpable panic of the scene immediately struck them. Every officer paced about, attentive and vigilant, working tirelessly so as to not miss a single incoming report or update in the somewhat dimly lit room that in many ways mirrored the Astro4's bridge design.

"Needless to say, we've been keeping busy recently." Logan looked towards a young man with short, dark, spiky, combed back hair and a stoic expression working on one of the front consoles. "Cadet Lucas, transmission status?"

"Sir, fully decrypted."

"Good. Play it. Go full screen, full blast."

"Yes, sir." Lucas pushed a button on the console.

After several seconds of visual static, Doctor K's face appeared in the middle of the screen while everyone in the room paid close attention. "Hello, my name is Doctor K. If I sent this transmission correctly, the people receiving it should be Time Force of the year 2990. And if so, find the Chronic Storm Power Rangers and deliver this message to them: After you left our time, I went through all the Morphing Grid notes you sent me and did some additional research on the Biofield that empowers my Ranger Operators. As it turns out, our Biofield and your Morphing Grid are one in the same. The closer I looked, the more nuances and branches I found locked away inside our mysterious energy source. I suspect we haven't even come close to understanding its true potential, or its true nature. But those details can be shared another time. For now, I found a way to strengthen the Grid. However, I can't do that from here and I don't currently have access to a temporal displacement unit. A time machine, in layman's terms. If you can make it back, then we can help you win your fight."

The transmission ended.

Carter quickly took in the information and looked to Logan. "Captain Logan, sir. I need to go back. Can we do that from here?"

Logan looked pensive, as if still wrapping his mind around Doctor K's verbose explanation. He then turned back to Carter. "That move presents a great risk. You are the leader of Chronic Storm. You know these enemies better than any of us. We need you here."

"Then send me back," Taylor immediately replied.

Carter turned to her. "Are you sure about this?"

"If what Doctor K says is true, then someone needs to go." Taylor turned to Logan. "Can we make this happen?"

"Ma'am, what we should be focusing on is keeping all able bodied fighters here, in _this_ time."

Taylor walked right up to Logan and stared him down. "Sir, I'm not a fighter, I'm a Power Ranger; one chosen for a mission. We lose this chance and we won't get another one. So risky or not, I'm going back, one way or another."

Captain Logan hesitated to respond, taken aback by Taylor unyielding stare while the entire room removed themselves from their work and looked to him for a response. After a few seconds of silence, he slowly nodded his head. "Okay ma'am, okay."

Logan turned to his officers. "Get the Time Ship up and ready. And get the time warp fired up and properly calibrated. Set coordinates to match the known destination of that transmission."

"Geez…" Ethan whispered to Carter. "Remind me not to piss _her_ off."

"You mean, not piss her off _again_?"

Taylor walked back towards the pair. "Guys, I promise I'll be back. And if this works, we can completely turn this situation around."

"Taylor, thank you," replied Carter.

Taylor nodded. "I told you and the kid that you could count on my help."

"And you can count on mine."

"What are you talking about?"

"November 16th, 2002. Downtown Turtle Cove." Carter stated. "That's the date, isn't it?"

Taylor's eyes widened as her mind suddenly took her back to that dark and stormy night. The night she thought would be her final day as a Power Ranger; what she thought would be her final day. She clung tightly to her emotions. "Carter… you don't have to—"

"This time, we'll be there… Like we should have been."

Taylor took a moment to process the response before nodding. "I won't even get to see it, but… thanks."

Just outside Time Force HQ laid a raised metallic runway. On the far end of it rested the trapezoid-shaped time warp gate currently being calibrated by men less than a tenth of its height. A few moments later, the insides of the gate bursted to life, giving off the signature blue and white hue alongside a mix of brighter red and yellow colorations. They all combined together to form something of an abstract temporal painting.

Taylor entered the yellow, light-bulb shaped prototype Time Ship positioned at the start of the metal runway. She took a seat inside the dark and rounded cockpit, taking a deep breath as her hands clung tightly to the console in front of her. The smell inside reminded her of the pine-like aroma of a new car, yet to be properly test driven.

Then, one of Time Force's giant yellow robots, also a prototype of what would soon be known as the Transwarp Megazord, walked up to the platform just behind the Time Ship, extended its metal fist, and punched the back of the vessel, launching it into the vortex.

Taylor's head quickly whipped back into her seat from the force. And within seconds, she and the ship vanished into the multi-colored portal.

Meanwhile, back on the Moonbase, Kendrix continued to struggle; her frame, barely moving while she endured the torture forced upon her by the unrelenting Axis. Every breath she expelled dealt a heavier toll, intensifying the strong, stinging sensation inside, as if her own ribs were trying to pierce their way through her lungs. Fading in and out, her eyes flickered while her tormented body kept silently screaming. Before too long, she passed out upon the cold floor.

"Tick tock, tick tock." Axis wagged his finger to and fro. "I wonder how much longer she'll last without any medical attention? She's already passed out from the pain."

Axis looked back at Jason; his head still down and his body still shaking.

"Oh come now Green Ranger, you're taking all of the fun out of this… Hold on, where did this odd white mist come from?"

The warrior holding Jason kept gritting his teeth while trying to hold on tighter, and then, he suddenly let go. The inside of his arms and hands were left steaming and reddened from the prolonged contact. He tried to contain his anguish.

Jason fell the the floor, but slowly rose up while his entire being started to emit a thicker layer of steam.

"What…?" Axis took a step back and pointed his blaster at Jason while he felt the temperature steadily increasing around him. "What's going on here? Explain yourself, Green Ranger!"

Jason fully rose to his feet and glared at Axis. Suddenly, the steam gave way to a thicker, green aura of energy. The bright veil began to cloak his entire form.

"Stay back now!" Axis pointed his blaster at Kendrix while Jason stalked him down, his heated glare never leaving the General. "Stay back I said, or she will di—"

Jason tensed his fists, quickly unleashing his newfound aura in the form of a sharp, pointed energy blast that struck Axis' metallic glove. The newfound power forcibly removed the blaster from Axis' hand and left his glove mangled and sparking, successfully disabling his lightning abilities.

Lieutenant South and the warriors began to surround Jason while he stared wide-eyed and confused at his hands and the green radiance given off by his body. A burning sensation striking his skin cut his curiosity short while crippling his movements. _Damn…! Whatever this is, it hurts!_

The warriors started closing in.

With beads of sweat racing down his face, Jason forced his shaking arms to the side, creating a pulsation of green power that knocked down the entire horde, including South and Axis, in one fell swoop.

Immediately after, Jason clutched tightly to his chest and fell to one knee. His green aura vanished from sight as he struggled to catch his breath. But through the merciless agony, his gaze locked on to Kendrix. He started to drag his knee towards her, but tripped himself up and fell flat on his face. He then slowly crawled and scraped against the floor, maneuvering around Triforian bodies caught in his path.

The pain yelled at him, begged him to stop. A few more pushes, a little more pain, and he'd be there. One last grab of the floor, one last drag of his body. Finally, he could feel her warmth again. "K… Kendrix… p… please…"

He tried to shake her awake. No response. Tears soon met his face as he continued to tug and pull at her body.

"Kendrix… I'm… so sorry…" Jason stared upon his hands, the green tint having faded away. "I had this… strange power… and I didn't know how to tap into it… I could have saved you… I could have… saved everyone…"

From the ground, a weakened Axis started to crawl away.

Jason noticed and forced himself up. He found his Morpher lying on the ground, cracked and damaged from his blast. He picked it up, but no button responded to his touch. He then acquired a black and gold Triforian blaster from off the ground while he limped towards Axis. He pointed the blaster squarely on him while the General turned around with a stunned expression.

But even now, Axis quickly did away with his shock, choosing a smirk instead. "Heh… So, there was something special about you after all. It just took a bit of prodding to bring it out… Power is not given, boy. It's earned, through hardships such as this… Now… you understand."

Jason forced himself to take a few more steps forward, bringing him and his commandeered blaster closer to Axis while it rattled in his hands. "That's… enough, Axis…! I'm going to capture you… here and now… and end this invasion."

"Stop me if you've heard this one before, hehehe… You and I, we are not so different. We both will go to great lengths to get what we desire. I had to learn what those lengths were, but you, it's in your blood."

Jason tightened his grip on the blaster, overcoming his quivering hands. "Stop _me_ if you've heard this one before: give me one reason I should let you live!"

Axis started to put his hands up, but then smiled and motioned his hands towards himself. "Hehehehe… Do it… DO IT…! Once you pull that trigger there's no going back!"

Jason shook his head. "No… I'm doing this to save the universe… I'm nothing like you! Full power!" He charged up the blaster, hoping to destroy everything that remained of General Axis.

From the other side of the room, Kendrix started to stir. Jason noticed immediately and looked back towards her.

"N-No… *cough* don't…" she said weakly.

"Kendrix!" cried Jason.

"What's the hold up?" Axis taunted. "Everything you've ever yearned for is right here in front of you. Take it. You can silence me forever and be the 'hero,' hehe… It that not how Earther justice works?"

Jason's entire body continued to shiver and perspire as his finger refused to hit the trigger. A moment later, he took a deep breath and released the blaster from his hands. As it clacked upon the floor below, Jason limped back towards Kendrix, tripping himself up again and falling near her feet. He slowly gathered himself as their eyes met.

"Kendrix… I'm sorry… about everything… I… I don't know what to say, I…"

"It's okay." Kendrix gently smiled and wiped away a tear clinging to Jason's cheek. "I'm okay."

Jason took her hand in his and let off a small smile.

Kendrix suddenly began coughing again. Blood started to escape her mouth and paint her lips with every wheeze.

Jason carefully lifted her off the ground. "There's gotta be a Med Bay here somewhere. I'll get you fixed up. I promise."

He walked past General Axis who continued to struggle to make it to his own feet. Jason kept walking without so much as looking at him, leaving the room and leaving him behind.

Axis soon returned to an upright position while he gazed upon the bodies of warriors knocked out by Jason's new power. Then, he came across the motionless, bloodied body of Lieutenant South. His warriors laid unconscious. However, he could tell in an instant that South caught the very worst of Jason's attack.

Axis felt a strain on his heart, as if its very strands had been plucked and severed, while he slowly made his way to South's body and gently placed his hand on the Lieutenant's chest. "You stood by me all these years while I continued to trade in my sanity for power… And you, my friend, have paid the price… Our destiny will be fulfilled, and your death, avenged."

Axis carefully rose back up as one of his fleet ships bursted down into the hexagonal room from the roof. Shards of glasses started to litter the floor as the warriors began to rouse.

From out of the ship came the Second Lieutenant. "My General, all the Resistance fleets are in position high above the palace grounds, still awaiting your orders."

"Excellent… However, I believe a promotion is in order, Lieutenant… as is the nature of war."

"My General?" he asked quizzically.

"You are now First Lieutenant. Present yourself properly."

The newly minted First Lieutenant tightened his fist and slammed it just over his heart. "I humbly accept, My General. First Lieutenant Salva, awaiting your orders."

Axis glared fiercely at him. "Do not give me cause to regret this decision, Lieutenant."

Salva bowed to Axis. "I will not fail you, My General."

"Good… Come. After I obtain what I need from this planet, we shall set this blue ball ablaze. However, this drearier grey ball is now useless to us."

Axis and Salva boarded the small, black Triforian vessel that got them to Earth the first time around. A few more ships flew in to pick up his warriors and the body of the fallen Lieutenant South.

A few moments later, Salva activated the thrusters and launched the ship towards the aerial army amassed just inside the Earth's atmosphere.

Meanwhile, Jason rushed through the Moonbase as quickly as his heavy, throbbing legs could take him with Kendrix in his arms. His breath continued to escape him and his pace continued to plummet while his eyes darted left and right, desperately scanning for anything resembling a Medical Bay. The wobbling of his knees became too much, forcing him to gently sit Kendrix on the ground and lean her against a wall.

Just then, the Moonbase's lights went from flashing red to solid red while alert sirens rang out once more, but this time, with a different, louder tenor to them. The PA system went on to deliver a distressing announcement, "Warning! Warning! Self-destruct initiated! 5 minutes until Moonbase detonation!"

Jason frustratingly sighed. "Crap! We need to get out and fast!"

He collected Kendrix into his arms again and pushed himself towards the Moonbase hanger.

Once they arrived, Jason quickly realized that it had been completely decimated, void of any ships that hadn't been torn apart or blasted into chunks. _You've gotta be kidding me…! That's what Axis' men were doing here. He planned for this too!_

A large thumb of the heart struck Jason's chest as the reality slowly trickled into his mind. "No… we can't be stuck here!"

"Warning! Warning! 3 minutes until Moonbase detonation!"

Kendrix started to move around in Jason's arms. "The… emergency… power down… lower level."

"Emergency power down?"

"I read about it… before we came up here… It should stop… the self-destruct."

"Got it." Jason carefully placed her back down and ran towards the lower levels of the Moonbase. He could feel his strength steadily returning as well as the burning skin sensation subsiding.

"Warning! Warning! 2 minutes until Moonbase detonation!"

Jason rushed down the stairs to the lower levels; his hurried paced matched by his labored breathing. He finally reached the consoles of the lowest possible Moonbase level; the buttons and screens all radiating a uniform dark red hue under the shine of the emergency lights. He didn't have the time to figure out what levers to turn or what buttons to push, so he turned and pressed all of them in quick, panicked succession.

"Warning! Warning! 60 seconds until Moonbase detonation!"

"No no no! I'm out of time…! Wait!" A thought quickly came to mind.

But the PA system now started to count down each individual number. His concentration started to waver as his head grew lighter, his heartbeat quickened, and his time ran shorter.


	15. Chapter 14: Heavy

**Chapter 14: Heavy**

Jason had only seconds before the self-destruct wiped out the base right alongside himself and Kendrix. He tensed up his entire body while gritting his teeth and tightly shutting his eyes until a familiar steam lifted from his skin. "Come on…! Come on!"

Suddenly, a glimmer of green light arose from his hands. "Yes! That's it!"

"10… 9… 8… 7…6…" warned the PA system.

"Now or never!" Jason continued to tense his muscles as his green aura encompassed his frame.

"5… 4… 3… 2…"

"Bright green light power thing… don't fail me now!" He threw his hands to the side while shouting out in agony, unleashing a wave of aura energy.

The circular ripple of power shredded through the machines and consoles, sending sparks and flames flying across the room. In an instant, everything faded into darkness before a few yellow lights flickered on from the backup generators.

Jason clutched his chest and starting coughing up blood before falling to the ground. He could just barely catch his breath while his burning arms became paralyzed by pain. "I… I did it… Damn… that's… taxing."

He looked upon the smoking machines and broken down consoles before quickly coming to another realization, _I needed to blow everything up to turn off the power… If we can't escape soon, we'll run out of air here!_

Jason pushed himself back to his feet, but could hardly lift his rattling legs. The aura seemed to sap the strength of every single one of his muscles. Forced to his knees, he desperately climbed up the stairs towards the upper levels.

He could already feel it inside his overworked lungs; the slowly thinning air making each difficult breath slightly more labored than the last. The backup generator worked to counter the dwindling, but once its limited power runs dry, so too will the base's oxygen. Jason tried to calm himself down while dragging his frame up the stiff metal steps, inhaling and exhaling slowly.

Minutes later, he finally crawled his way back to where he left Kendrix. He managed to lift himself up, but his legs just barely held up the rest of his frame. However, a few marks of blood decorating the wall and floor Kendrix once rested upon were all that greeted him. _No! Was she captured!? Are there still some of Axis' men somewhere on the base!?_

Jason's heart started to race again as his eyes darted all around the hall. He dragged his feet forward, following what looked to be a blood trail on the floor under the dim and scattered yellow lights.

Just as soon as Jason began to turn a corner, he heard footsteps coming up from behind him. He quickly turned around and got into a sloppy, tired fighting stance.

"It's okay. It's just me," said Kendrix.

"Kendrix! You're alright." Jason sighed in relief.

She held up what looked like black metallic mouth restraints. "These odd looking things are actually breathing masks. I figured that it may be smart to hold onto some, since restarting the systems could be complicated."

"Well… about that… I kind of… broke… the base power controls. So 'complicated' might be putting it lightly."

"Oh…" Kendrix thought through their current situation. "Well, we still have more than enough oxygen on the base to survive for now. We can save these masks until the air supply gets low. That'll at least buy us some time."

"Smart thinking, as always." Jason looked up and down at Kendrix, observing her cuts and wounds. "We still need to get those injuries looked at."

Kendrix softly smiled and showed off one of the burn marks on her arm. It looked to be practically healed already. "The Medical Bay where I found these masks thankfully had some good burn products. I'll just have to push through the rest until a real doctor can assess me. But I think I'll be just fine."

"Finally, some good news."

Kendrix' eyelids began to weigh on her. She started to hobble a bit, nearly falling over before Jason caught her in his arms.

"Kendrix! Stay with me. Let's get one of those masks going. We aren't gonna take any chances here."

While Jason nervously fiddled around with one of the breathing masks, Kendrix couldn't help but hold onto her soft smile through the pain. She couldn't help but feel a little bit warmer inside this frigid, quiet hallway, trapped within thick white walls. "I think… I know now, hehe… why you stare at me…"

Jason quickly placed one of the masks on her face. He then sat down as Kendrix' rested in his arms. "When we get out of this mess, I'll try my best to tell you… Hopefully, without sounding like too much of a dork. Oh wait, heh, that's right, you actually don't mind that."

Jason looked upon his Morpher, cracked, partly burnt, and unable to transform him, let alone communicate. And with only backup power, they couldn't use the base itself to send out a distress call. A pair of lights from across the hall already started to flicker before fading out forebodingly. What remained of the power was sure to give out soon. Sitting, waiting, hoping, proved to be their only available options.

Inside the halls of the Moonbase, cold, stiff, soundless, Jason wondered how long they could survive with just ten breathing masks. He wondered why, even now, he could not escape the chilling embrace of the floor beneath him. Perhaps this Morpher felt too heavy for a reason. Perhaps that's why he could not help but fall.

Back at Time Force HQ, Taylor departed on her journey through time, leaving Queen Diane, Carter, and Ethan to discuss how to handle the incoming invasion alongside Captain Logan, Alex, and the rest of Time Force. A demand by General Axis complicated matters. He requested the presence of the Queen in exchange for his hostages. He claimed to have Professor Knox and the remaining Rangers held captive and any attempts to delay would be answered by the full force of the Resistance.

"Captain," Alex said. "The Chrono Morpher. We had it designed for moments like these. I strongly recommend that we authorize its use."

Logan stared sternly back at him. "I don't think I need to remind you of what happened the last time we tested that Morpher. _It_ isn't ready. Our enemies are."

"A Chrono Morpher?" Ethan asked while thinking back to his time learning about the legacy of power. "Oh yeah, Dr. O definitely mentioned that once."

Alex nodded. "Thanks to the help of Professor Knox and the Ranger Academy, we were able to start laying the groundwork for our own team of Power Rangers. But even with Knox' legendary mind assisting us, we haven't been able to completely integrate Time Force technology with the Morphing Grid yet."

"I have a feeling you'll figure it out," added Carter.

Diane stared out the window and into the horizon, her eyes sullen and her fists tense. "My son… I allowed this to happen…"

"Have some faith," Carter replied. "Knowing Jason and Kendrix, they're probably figuring something out as we speak. They'll be okay."

Carter looked to Ethan and then to Logan. "If the worst comes… If we can't stop this invasion… would we still be able to send Ethan back home?"

Logan wore a pensive face. "A second trip this soon would risk compromising our power supply."

Ethan stood in front of Carter. "Not going home just yet, not if it means leaving you guys behind with all of that outside. Plus, you really think I want Taylor coming to find me years later to chew me out for ditching? Pssh, no thank you."

Carter shook his head and smiled. "I think we made the right choice when we chose you."

Diane sighed and looked back towards the others. "For the sake of my son and Professor Knox, I must agree to Axis' terms. Prepare me a ship at once."

"Are you sure about this?" asked Carter.

"If nothing else, it will buy us some valuable time until the snappy blonde one returns."

"She's got a point," added Ethan.

Carter looked less assured. "I don't have a great feeling about offering you up to Axis. It's too risky."

Diane smirked. "Few things I've done in my time have proven to be anything less. And for my son, no stake is too high."

While the team continued to make preparations at Time Force HQ, Axis and the recently promoted Lieutenant Salva had returned to the General's largest and most imposing ship. It draped across the nearly cloudless sky of Earth, surrounded by all manner of otherworldly, multi-colored vessels and warships ready and anxiously awaiting the word. Within each of the 30 ships laid an army ranging from a handful of elite fighters to over one hundred soldiers.

Inside the bridge of the Triforian vessel, Salva received an update from a henchman regarding the captured Professor. He then relayed that message to Axis, "My General, the old man we captured still refuses to assist us. I recommend more excessive brands of force."

"An excitable one I see." Axis rose from his seat. "Good, good. But first, let us see what I can do to personally convince him."

Axis and Salva made their way down to the detention level. Axis pushed a button, sliding up the cell door housing Professor Knox. The Professor looked weak and beaten, with blood still freshly dripping down his face.

"A good start," Axis said. "But I favor a more subtle approach."

"Do what you will with me!" Knox cried out. "I will never give up the time warp secrets! If you want it, discover it yourself like a real scientist."

Axis snickered. "I am no scientist. But I do love discovery. For example, I discovered quite recently that a weapon you devised could potentially wipe out a planet… Is this what 'real scientists' create, Professor?"

"You've got it backwards! I adamantly disapproved of that weapon! An old colleague of mine designed it years ago. Needless to say, he's not my colleague anymore."

Axis thought about his words before nodding, knowingly. "Interesting… But for another time. Let's stay focused on your signature invention."

Knox glared back at Axis. "You are pure evil. I'd sooner die in the service of my Queen than help you."

"Easy now, Professor. I believe you misunderstand my intentions. I harbor no interest in conquest or mindless destruction. I'm only interested in the salvation of planets such as this Earth of yours; salvation from the scum and lies of this empire you helped empower. This universe cannot function properly under the rule of one. It will only produce further unrest and richer tides of blood. You are lucky, for I am usually not a violent man by nature… usually… I simply do what is necessary."

Axis grabbed Knox's face, forcing their eyes to meet. "There are many Resistance forces within this fleet that would call for the absolute destruction of this planet and beyond! I mean but to set them free, to set us all free." Axis released Knox' face started to pace around the room. "Trust me, Professor. If I gave the order to attack, I'd be the least of your concerns. So, I offer you this: convince your Queen to meet me and the other leaders to discuss diplomatic solutions. If talks progress, you will be free to go. This is my one and only offer. You best pray I retain my giving mood."

Knox stayed silent for a few moments longer before sighing. "O… Okay…"

"Hmm?" Axis cupped his ear. "Couldn't quite make that out."

"I… I accept your offer… But I cannot promise you that Queen Diane will."

Axis turned around with a smirk and a facetious round of applause. "Very good, but you need not worry about that. I already contacted her a while ago. She believes I also hold her son prisoner along with that Pink Ranger. And, she believes I'll free the lot of you, should she come unarmed. Heh, who could have possibly given her that idea?"

"What have you done to Jason!?" Knox tried to fight against his restraints.

"Hehehe, the same thing your Rangers did to General Pyreus…! Your resolve was tested, Professor. You failed. I'll get what I need from you in due course. For now, I have a meeting to attend."

The speechless Knox dipped his head down in surrender.

"My General," Salva said from just outside the cell. "An unarmed cruiser is approaching from the Earth's surface. It appears to be the Queen."

"Excellent. Ready the docking bay and have two teams in position for immediate extraction. Search every inch of her cruiser. We will _not_ repeat our previous mistakes."

The small, dark green and grey cruiser boarded the ship's docking bay. Two teams of five warriors each oversaw Queen Diane making her way out of the transport, seemingly all alone.

Salva stepped into the bay with a pair of henchmen to either side of him. He motioned for the henchmen to search her cruiser; one to scan the outside and the other to thoroughly scour the inside.

An uneasy silence hovered in the air as Diane gazed upon the scowls of her enemies once more. Only the sound of the henchman pair rummaging about the cruiser cut through the tense quiet.

The henchmen finished their search and gave a confident nod to Salva. He nodded back to them and motioned Diane to follow him. He and the two teams of warriors then escorted the Queen down the crimson soaked halls and into a meeting room within the ship where General Axis waited at the head of a rectangular table. His fellow Resistance leaders, save Trian, projected themselves into the room through blue holograms to witness the talks second hand.

Axis grinned and gave the Queen a facetious bow. "Ahh, 'My Queen.' We really should stop meeting like this. It is… unbecoming."

"Enough!" Diane stated. "I was informed that we are here to talk diplomacy and diplomacy alone."

"Is finding a way to get along not a rather sizable part of that? But very well, to business then. Please, take a seat."

Diane hesitated, her fingers carefully caressing the top of a rigid chair before slowly sitting down directly across from the General. Her icy gaze stayed fixed upon his joyful grin.

"Where is my son?"

"All in due time," Axis started. "Now, our demands are simple, 1. You will retire from your iron-fisted rule over the universe and return the power of a self-governed system back to the people."

Axis received collective nods and agreements from the onlooking leaders.

"2. Regardless of system or allegiance, there will be no more bureaucracy with war, trade, or general governance. If one nation calls for action upon another, then said call will be answered between the nations involved. If it be not a universal conflict, we'd rather keep the rest of the universe out of it. There will need to be checks and balances, naturally. Elected representatives from the five known galaxies will handle enforcement. And never shall one overpower another. And 3. You will give me the secrets to the time warp technology."

Diane looked stunned. "Why would you need access to that technology? That has nothing to do with diplomatic negotiations."

Axis glared at her intensely. "You know good and well why I need it. These are my terms, 'My Lady,' and if you're half as wise as you claim, you'd accept them."

"...And if I refuse your terms?"

"Well… let's just say that my allies over here may decide to use your planet to cast off their boredom. But you already knew that, giving me reason to suspect that in your mind, you've already accepted my offer, but your heart needs some time to catch up. Do I have that right?"

Diane looked away. "How about a counter offer? You surrender right here and right now, and I won't have the entirety of your fleet blow out of space!"

Axis looked shocked at first but then began to laugh. "Empty threats will gain you little here. I have eliminated what power your Power Rangers had, and the heroics you pulled before will not work a second time."

Axis looked to the large, dinosaur-like hologram sitting right beside him. "Commander Dinox, begin the invasion with your first wave of—"

"Wait!" cried Diane.

Axis looked back upon her. "Hold that order, Commander. I believe we have a treaty to sign."

He motioned to one of his henchmen.

The henchman then laid a thin, blue electronic document upon the table in front of Diane.

"Already took the liberty of signing off on it," Axis said. "All it needs to be official is your compliance—" His last word seemed to gnaw at him ever so slightly, as if recalling a bad dream, or a painful memory. The single word bounced around inside his mind while he held tight to his head.

Axis drew a few concerned expressions from the onlooking Resistance leaders as he tried to shake off the sudden feeling of dread. "N-Never you mind that… Now then, back to the matter at hand."

Diane looked begrudgingly at the treaty and proceeded to slowly sign her name upon the form.

General Axis took a deep breath and let out a sigh of true ecstasy. "Looks like you did end up seeing things my way after all."

"In a manner of speaking." Diane rose from her chair and smashed the digital paperwork into pieces, the shattered parts spilling upon the floor before cold silence swept over the room.

Axis' eyes began to twitch while his face became flushed with red frustration. "You… insubordinate…! You have made your final mistake, I will tell you that much! Now your precious Earth will pay the price for your insolence!" Axis looked back at Dinox' hologram. "Commander Dinox! Land your fleet on Earth and make them suffer! Everyone else, await my signal to follow up on his position. Eliminate everything!"

"Finally! Just leave it to me," replied Dinox as his hologram vanished.

Axis took a deep breath and calmed himself down. "...I will saver watching the last bits of your resolve drain from your face."

"Where is my son?"

"Oh, hehe, the Green Ranger… I may have blown up your Moonbase with him still on it. A shame, truly. He proved quite the fighter."

Diane felt her heart jump, but then quickly recalled something. _The Moonbase, I saw it still standing while I arrived… Axis must have tried triggering the self-destruct, but… Hmm, very good, my son_.

Diane forced a few tears out of her eyes.

Axis grinned widely, taking the bait.

"Axis… p-please… I have nothing now…" Diane dropped to her knees. "Please, give this mourning mother a chance to tell his team what happened… They deserve to know."

"Is that all? Hmm, inner turmoil never fails to fascinate… Lieutenant Salva, monitor whatever she sends out."

Salva nodded. "I shall, My General."

Salva lead her out of the room and down the hallways, being sure to give her a good shove any time her movement lagged.

Diane let off the faintest of smirks.


	16. Chapter 15: Invasion

**Chapter 15: Invasion**

The vortex that sent Taylor back in time landed her right on the outskirts of Corinth. Her tight, sweaty grip finally released itself from the console while she caught her breath. Within seconds, the onboard computer pinged out a handful of lifeforms slowly approaching the craft. Taylor nodded and disembarked.

Once she exited the ship, she noticed five individuals dressed up in matching, black leather jackets alongside one short woman in a lab coat.

"I'm guessing you guys are the cavalry," said Taylor.

"That's us," replied Scott.

Taylor made her way towards the group. "My name is Taylor Earhardt. I'm working with Carter Grayson and Chronic Storm. We got your message, Doctor K."

Scott's face lit up. "Wait, hold on. You're THE Taylor Earhardt? You're a living legend in the Air Force. We still use some of the training regimens you helped develop."

Taylor's eyes widened. "You fly?"

Scott confidently nodded and saluted Taylor. "Airmen Scott Truman. Eagle 2."

Taylor nodded. "Lieutenant Taylor Earhardt. Yellow Eagle. At ease, Airmen."

Dillon interjected, "You can swap war stories later. We're on a bit of a tight schedule."

"Wow, nice ride!" cried Ziggy as he slapped the frame of the Time Ship. "Hey, I can totally borrow this thing to impress chicks later, right?"

Doctor K walked up and glared at him.

"What…? Oh come on, I was just kidding."

"Thanks for helping us out, Doctor," said Taylor.

"The pleasure's all mine."

"Doc, where do we go from here?" asked Scott.

Doctor K took out a laptop. Her eyes quickly darted all over the screen, losing herself inside Morphing Grid computations and data she pined over, still. "All systems working optimally, for now. First, we'll need to get Gem and Gemma out of their next mission. Scott, try to explain to Colonel Truman that this takes precedence."

Scott nodded and moved out to find the Ranger twins.

Doctor K turned to Flynn. "Flynn, I'll need your help to contact the others. Tell them that it's finally time."

"Right then!" Flynn moved out.

Doctor K turned back to Taylor. "Third, Dillon, Ziggy, and I will analyze the Time Ship you came here in to make sure it's capable of sustained travel and holding a few additional bodies."

"Additional bodies?" Taylor asked. "How many people are we planning on bringing with us?"

While Doctor K's plan started to take shape, back in the future, just beyond Time Force HQ, Carter, Ethan, Alex, and a handful of Time Force officers had nearly finished setting up five metallic poles over an orange-soaked rocky area just west of the city. Doctor K sent the designs for these particular poles, measuring 12 meters each, alongside her message as the next step in her larger plan.

Carter finished adjusting the fifth pole, its silver hue shining in the afternoon sunlight. "Whew. That should do it. Let's hope Queen Diane bought us enough time."

Alex looked to the skies. One of the larger fleet ships started to descend. "We just ran out. We've got enemy forces closing in on the surface."

Just then, Alex received an incoming communication. He pressed his finger to his ear to answer it. "...Queen Diane? Is everything alright?"

"No… I'm afraid not," Diane communicated. "Alex, is Carter listening?"

Alex took the communication device out of his ear for all to hear.

"I'm here, ma'am," Carter stated. "Are you alright? Did you find the others?"

"Carter, I need you to pay very close attention. I'm still aboard Axis' ship. The Moonbase… it was destroyed with Jason and your Pink Ranger on it."

"What!? No! This can't be happen—"

"Carter! I told you to pay _very_ close attention. I'm trapped aboard Axis' ship. And the Moonbase was destroyed. However, there might still be valuable technology scattered among the rubble. I need you to inspect it immediately."

All the while, Salva listened closely to Diane's call right beside her inside an otherwise vacant room within the Triforian vessel. _She's sending the Rangers to a destroyed base? Ha! That means less forces on the ground. The Queen has gone mad_.

"Ma'am…" Carter choked on his words while trying to hold himself together. "I can't even imagine your pain… But with all due respect, I don't think that—"

"That was a direct order, Carter. I expect it to be carried out. My time runs short. Remember, I'm trapped on this ship and the Moonbase was destroyed."

The transmission faded.

Carter stared at the device with a long, sullen gaze. "I just don't get it…"

"I might," replied Alex.

Carter and Ethan turned to him.

"She emphasized that she's trapped up there… She's likely under surveillance, so she can't give us a straight answer." Alex placed the device back inside his ear and made a call to HQ. "HQ, this is Alex. Get me Cadet Lucas."

Alex waited for a few moments before hearing Lucas on the other end, "I'm here."

"Cadet Lucas, check Moonbase status at once. Give me a full report."

From inside Time Force Central Command, Lucas hit a few keys and uploaded the current state of the Moonbase on his computer screen. "The Moonbase's self-destruct sequence reportedly activated, but the power went dead and never reset. The self-destruct was canceled, but backup power is in the red. If anyone's up there, they won't last for very long."

Alex turned to Carter and nodded.

Carter then lifted his gaze to the sky. "So the Moonbase _wasn't_ destroyed."

"But Jason and Kendrix are still on it with a rapidly diminishing air supply."

"We have to fly back," Ethan said. "If _they_ haven't by now, it means they can't."

Carter hesitated. "...If we do… we'd risk catching the attention of the entire fleet of warships blocking our path."

"Yep… Sooo, that's a yes…?"

Carter nodded. "I won't leave anyone behind… not again."

Just then, sparks of electricity started to flicker off of the five metallic poles. As the trio turned around to witness the development, the sparks started to wrap around the poles before leaping to adjacent ones, connecting to each other like a five pronged Tesla Coil. Soon enough, white streams of electricity joined the five poles together. And from the center, a white ball of light started to expand and grow. Something started to emerge from within.

Back on the Moonbase, the last of the yellow lights had flickered away and burnt out, leaving the frigid base even colder. The air inside had thinned to the point where every successful breath Jason and Kendrix could muster proved to be its own hard fought victory in between switching out breathing masks. What's more, only a single mask remained.

The weary-eyed Jason still had enough mental function to switch out Kendrix' current mask for the final one. He tried to organize his scattered thoughts enough to tabulate how much longer they could last. His own mask ran low, but they'd only die sooner if they tried sharing. If nothing else, she could hold out just a little bit longer.

No sound travels through the void of space. Jason could only imagine the horrors that his home must have endured by now.

Just then, he heard a faint sound coming from somewhere, he couldn't figure out where. He wondered if his imagination had run rampant, constructing the dizziest of daydreams after a period of silence and lightheadedness that felt like hours. The sound grew louder and louder; footsteps perhaps, and maybe even a voice.

Jason's entire body tensed up as some semblance of clarity return to him. _No… Axis must be back. Damn, there's no way to win against him now… He must have invaded Earth and now he has no reason to keep us alive_. Jason held Kendrix' hand tightly. _But I won't go down without a fight_.

Jason gently leaned Kendrix against the wall, making sure her current air mask was fitted tightly, before slowly picking himself up. His eyes and head darted every which way, but the quick and sudden movements blurred his vision. He shook his head and rubbed his eyes, trying to escape his daze and focus on the sound.

Louder and louder, quickly approaching footsteps just around the corner. He turned to face the source of the sound, still managing to get into his fighting stance, a stance he would not soon forget.

"Jason! Kendrix!" a voice called out, a familiar one.

Jason's eyes widened as from around the corner appeared Leo, fully morphed up as the Red Galaxy Ranger.

"No… way… L… Leo…?" Jason could barely push the words through his mouth as his legs began to wobble.

Leo caught the stumbling Jason and immediately communicated with the other Galaxy Rangers, "Guys, I found them! Swing the Astro Megaship around, closer to the center of this place."

"K… Kendrix…" Jason said weakly. "She needs… help… q-quickly…"

"You don't exactly look one hundred percent either. Don't worry, we're going to get you both out of here."

Just then, the original Astro Megaship, radiating it signature blue and red coloration, docked itself atop the center of the Moonbase, busting a hole through the roof.

From out of the hole appeared a morphed up Kai. "Leo, let's get a move on!"

Leo and Kai grabbed Jason and Kendrix respectively and headed up towards the Astro Megaship. All the while, Jason started to give in to the faintness he tried to push through. His eyelids grew heavier until they forced themselves shut; his senses vanishing.

Twenty minutes later, Jason sprung awake and found himself lying upon a white bed surrounded by dark blue walls. He quickly tried to ascertain the situation through the haze of his recent memories. Then, everything hit him at once: the invasion, Axis, all of it. He felt around for his Morpher, but he couldn't find it on his wrist. He quickly propped himself up and took in the setting. The room seemed… almost familiar.

He managed to get up and walk around a great deal easier than before, eventually finding the Galaxy Rangers at the bridge of the Astro Megaship.

"Wha…? Was I…? Did I get sent to the past again?"

"Jason," Kai approached him. " _We're_ the ones in the future this time."

"And we're on our way to Axis' ship," added Damon.

Jason's eyes widened. "Wait, we're going _towards_ Axis' ship?!"

"Don't worry," Kai replied. "We thought this through."

Damon added on, "The material _this_ Astro Megaship is made of doesn't exist anymore in your time. We can't be tracked by them unless they're staring right at us."

Karone nodded. "We have your friend Ethan to thank for that information."

Jason nodded before suddenly feeling a strange sense of lightness on his wrist. "My Morpher, it was right here… Did I lose it?"

"Nah, it just needed some repairs," replied Leo.

From behind Jason appeared Carter, Taylor, and Ethan.

Ethan playfully slapped Jason on the back and placed a shiny, fully repaired Green Morpher in his hands. "Try not to break this one."

Jason did everything he could to not burst out in tears. "Guys… you're alright."

"Yeah, what did you expect?" asked Taylor.

Ethan shook his head with a subtle smile. "She's acting cool now, but she was worried about you."

"Kendrix!" Jason cried in sudden realization. "Where is she? Is she safe? Is she healing?"

Carter nodded. "She'll be just fine."

Damon carefully lowered a lever on the back console, maneuvering the Astro Megaship right underneath Axis' battleship. "Okay guys, we're right under this thing. They should be preoccupied with the surface. Now's our chance."

"Then let's get this done." Carter looked to the other Chronic Storm Rangers.

His team all nodded in unison and flashed their brand new Morphers. "Chronic Storm, Ranger form!" they cried together, morphing them into Ranger mode.

As they made their way up towards the Astro Megaship's roof, Jason's movement lagged, his mind trapped inside thoughts of Kendrix.

Taylor recognized his uneasiness and held him up. "Kid, if you don't focus up now, we lose everything. Got it?"

"I know, I know…" Jason bowed his head. "I'm sorry."

Taylor sighed, suddenly stricken with a bit of guilt. She awkwardly patted Jason on the back while Ethan and Carter waited up for them. "Look, just… You're doing fine, kid. So you'd better not quit on us now."

Jason lifted his head slightly. "I won't."

"I can't hear you, kid."

"I won't!"

"Better." Taylor playfully slapped the side of Jason's helmet. "Let's go."

The pair followed Ethan and Carter up to the roof of the Astro Megaship. The team then snuck their way inside Axis' ship; this time routing themselves underneath the crimson floors. Carter carefully lifted up one of the floor panels and observed the hallway. His heads up display showed nothing to the left or right of them. They each picked themselves up and made their way through the vessel.

While the Chronic Storm Rangers continued their infiltration, Commander Dinox landed on Earth's surface surrounded by a platoon of hundreds of raptor-like warriors armed to the teeth, quite literally, with blasters and orange-tinted armor to match the rocky battlefield around them.

"Men!" cried Dinox as he lifted his sharp-clawed fist to the sky. "Today is the day that we have been thirsting for! Today, we slaughter these humans and drink from the waters of victory using their skulls as our chalice!"

Dinox riled up his soldiers; their energetic snarls and gnashing of teeth coating the terrain in a sinister sound. The Commander turned around to begin the push towards Neo Angles, but noticed no Earth soldiers populating the stony terrain. No palace guards or Time Force officers either. All that walked up to greet him were seven individuals in the distance dressed in matching black leather jackets. The full set of RPM Power Rangers had arrived.

"Heh, these bad guys just never learn," Ziggy said. "I mean, don't they know who we are?"

"I guess not," Scott added. "But I'm sure we can teach them a thing or two."

"Is it finally…" started Gem, the RPM Gold Ranger.

"...Boom time!?" finished Gemma, the RPM Silver Ranger.

"Close." Scott pulled out his Morpher with the others quickly following suit. "It's time to get in gear."

RPM prepared for battle as the army of raptors growled and hissed in front of them. But just then, another group of four walked in from behind the Rangers; three teenagers and one older individual. Dino Thunder had made it to the battle.

Conner, the Red Dino Ranger, looked perplexed at the dinosaur-like foes now greeting them. "Hey Dr. O, these aren't more of your Science Fair projects, right?"

Dr. O, also known as Ranger legend Tommy Oliver, shook his head. "These guys remind me way too much of Mesogog, but I've never seen em."

"Dino Rangers fighting dino monsters," Kira, the Yellow Dino Ranger, added with a shrug.

"Some things never change," added Trent, the White Dino Ranger.

And from behind them, five more appeared. The Wild Force Rangers.

Dr. O recognized Cole, the Red Wild Force Ranger, and shook his hand once his team had caught up. "Good to see you again, rookie."

"You too, Tommy," replied Cole.

A frustrated Dinox gritted his teeth in the backdrop. "Enough yammering! Soldiers, attack!"

"Guys," Tommy looked around at the others. "I think we all know what time it is."

The others all nodded and activated their Morphers.

"RPM! Get in gear!"

"Wild access! Aiyah!"

"Dino Thunder, power up! Ha!"

The trio of Ranger teams emerged from out of a bright, multi-colored morphing light, fully powered up and ready for the raptor horde charging towards them. The Rangers held their positions while their sharp-toothed adversaries picked up speed across the orange terrain; their legs quickly eating up ground leaving a thin layer of dust in their wake.

Just then, a series of red laser blasts painted the terrain from out of the sky, eliminating the raptor front-line. The Astro Megaship appeared and from out of it leapt the Galaxy Rangers.

"What?! More Rangers?!" cried Dinox in disgust.

Leo looked towards the other Ranger teams all assembled together from different reaches of time and space. "Room for a few more?"

Tommy nodded, suited up in his Black Dino Ranger attire. "Always."

The Galaxy Rangers joined in and lined up next to the others before pulling out their Quasar Sabers.

A second wave of Dinox' men drew closer, stampeding their way towards the Ranger line as the orange dust started painting the air. Their shoulder-mounted cannons started glowing an orange-red hue, locking onto their prey.

The four teams of Rangers began charging right back.


	17. Chapter 16: Gravity

**Chapter 16: Gravity**

Blasters fired, ripping through the battlegrounds, striking Rangers and raptors alike. Swords slashed, clanked, and cut down raptor forces. All the while, the much larger Dinox stood in the background. After a few seconds of teeth gritting, he charged in himself with waning patience.

"Heads up!" Scott communicated while using his Street Saber to chop down a pair of snarling raptors. "The big guy is now in play!"

Ziggy swung around his Turbo Axe and managed to knock down a raptor. "Shouldn't the dinosaur themed Rangers deal with him?" Ziggy was suddenly knocked down by a raptor before Dillon lifted him up and fought it back. "Thanks! I mean, that makes sense, right?"

"Copy that," replied Tommy.

"Leave him to us," added Trent.

The four Dino Thunder Rangers charged through the back-lines and approached Dinox.

Dinox grinned widely. "Your colorful mockery of my clan will not go unpunished!"

"Hey, you take that back," Conner replied. "These suits are stylish."

"Conner, not the time," added Kira.

Dinox unsheathed a pair of white swords from his back that looked like elongated teeth sharpened into blades and ran at the Rangers.

The quartet dodged his initial charge, but Dinox continued to hack and slash at them with reckless abandon, eventually striking Conner's backside.

"Conner!" Trent jumped in front of him and pulled out his own small, white saber. "Drago Sword, laser arrows!" He slashed at the air, producing a trio of bright energy arrows that struck Dinox' midsection.

Kira followed up by taking to the skies and launching a kick that barely moved Dinox. She leapt off of him and pulled out her blue Thundermax Blaster. She launched a string of rounds focusing again on his midsection, but Dinox stood unmoved, still.

"Really? Nothing?" asked Kira.

Tommy grabbed Conner's arm and helped him back to his feet. "Can you still go?"

"Yeah, no problem."

Dinox brushed off his metal-plated midsection with a trio of new dents now affixed to his armor. "You children will need more than your toys to do me in!"

"Dr. O, what now?" asked Trent.

"The Triassic Ranger power!" Conner cried as he looked around to the others. "It might be the only way to take him down."

"Will that work without Ethan?" asked Kira.

"It should," Tommy replied. "It won't be as powerful, but it's worth a shot."

The Rangers gathered around Conner, each lifting their outstretched hands towards him. Their Ranger powers started to manifest in the form of glowing balls of energy that they each transferred to Conner. Within moments, Conner's Red Ranger form became imbued with gold linings as a red and gold spiked shield emerged from in front of him.

The others forcibly demorphed from the energy transfer as Conner charged Dinox with the power of the Triassic Ranger.

Dinox charged back with his blades in hand, slashing down at Conner.

Conner countered, using the Triassic Shield to bounce back the slashes, cutting Dinox' swords in two.

"What!? NO!"

From the top of the shield a blade arose. Conner readied himself to end the fight, but then turned his head, looking back towards the raptor warriors swarming the other teams. He hesitated before turning around completely and running towards the Galaxy Rangers. "Hold on!"

The other Dino Thunder Rangers quickly followed.

Dinox stood in place, shocked by the Triassic power with broken blades still slightly smoking from their encounter with the Triassic Shield. He quickly tapped his ear to establish communications. "General Axis! These Rangers have way more power than we predicted! Requesting backup immediately!"

On the bridge of Axis' ship, the General watched the tides continue to turn with tightened fists and boiling blood. "How is this even possible!?"

"We're not sure, My General," replied Salva from right beside him.

Axis slowly brought himself back into a state of calmness, breathing in and out until mental clarity returned to him. "No matter, no matter… They've shown their full hand now. But it won't be enough. Inform the other commanders to send the rest of their fleets. If they wish to turn this into a full scale war, then we will gladly overrun them with numbers."

Upon hearing the command, his henchmen started to relay the transmissions to the other fleet ships. But just then, the doors to the bridge blasted apart. Laser fire ripped through the room, incinerating consoles and communication devices in a matter of moments and tossing henchmen to the floor.

Axis leapt from his seat and turned around. Through the pile of smoke appeared the Chronic Storm Power Rangers.

"Game over Axis," Carter said. "You've lost."

"Hehe, now now, let's not do anything too rash…" Axis subtly motioned his head towards Salva, who had snuck up behind the Rangers.

He unsheathed his bladed staff and prepared to strike before Diane entered the bridge behind him. She quickly leveled Salva with a series of well placed jabs and chops to his backside just as the recently freed Professor Knox walked up behind her.

"I suggest you come up with a different course of action, General," Diane stated as she stepped over the downed Salva. "You're terribly outnumbered here."

"And so I am…" Axis quickly pressed a button on his chair. His ship made a very abrupt downward motion, throwing the passengers off balance.

"What did you just do!?" asked Carter.

"It's quite simple, really. My ship is set to crash land upon the battlefield where your Rangers are engaged with Commander Dinox' troops. And let me assure you, there will be few, if any, survivors."

"No… no!" Diane cried. "We have to stop this ship!"

Axis laughed, somewhat more manically than in times past. "There is no stopping it! There is only the inevitable death of you meddling Rangers and all of your friends!"

Jason pulled out his Chronic Blaster and shot Axis, sending him violently careening into his chair before tumbling to the floor. Everyone else gave him strange looks. "What…? Everyone else was thinking it…"

The Rangers quickly turned to the control panels to see what could be done. Most of the consoles had been fried upon entry, but the ship's navigational controls still seemed functional.

"Taylor, Ethan," Carter looked to the pair. "Tell me there's a way to stop this thing."

Taylor looked around, her head spinning trying to take in the myriad of unfamiliar buttons and levers. "It's like a whole other language! We don't have time to figure this all out!"

Ethan tried to work his way through the system computers, but wasn't having any luck breaking through. "It's layered in way too many fail safes and encryptions… but!"

"But, what?" asked Taylor.

"We can try changing its trajectory by force." Ethan continued to think it through and then nodded. "If we can adjust the ship's course by about 33 degrees upwards and engage maximum thrust, we can use the Earth's gravitational pull to slingshot us around the Earth and out of harm's way!"

Taylor looked at him suspiciously. "Is this another one of your video game things?"

"Well, more of a movie thing, but I'm pretty sure it has scientific backing too."

"I like the sound of it," Jason added. "How do we do it?"

"We need to redirect the thrusters manually and then give the engine enough of a power surge to go beyond maximum thrust."

Carter nodded and looked to Jason. "Jason, you've got the most experience with these engines. Think you can handle it?"

"On it!" Jason ran out towards the engine room.

Carter turned to Taylor and Ethan. "Our friends are down there doing their part to save the world. It's time to do ours."

Taylor and Carter raced out of the bridge towards the thrusters on either side of the ship. The vessel started heating up; its stiff outer coat melting away in bright orange flames as its descent to Earth quickened.

Carter found the thruster room and busted down the door. From inside, he witnessed the spherical device that drove the ship forward. "This must be it. Okay Ethan, I'm in position."

"You and Taylor need to manually rotate the thrusters about 33 degrees. It shouldn't be too hard with Ranger power, since these things seem designed to rotate anyways. And then, it's all on you, Jason. To break thrust capacity, we'll need you to overload the engines at a very specific time. Otherwise, we'll just drop really fast. We _don't_ want to drop. After that, can we use Earth's gravity as a slingshot. And we might just cripple a few enemy ships on the return trip."

Even more flames started to erupt upon the six wings of the vessel with layers of metal being forcibly shed away from each one of them.

From Taylor's position, she started feeling the increased heat inside the opposite thruster room, even through her suit. "It's getting a little hot down here."

"Our suits should hold." Carter busted open a wall hatch that led directly to thruster configurations. A digital screen gave him the option of choosing what adjustments to make. "Taylor, there should be a hatch that leads to a control panel. We can enter in the 33 degree adjustment there and we'll be good to go."

Taylor found the hatch on her side and busted it open. "I got it. Beginning rotation now."

Carter and Taylor both made the proper inputs, rotating the thrusters as the ship began to coast upon the Earth's atmosphere, continually accelerating as it revolved around the planet. Clouds, mountains, entire countries and landscapes began whizzing by, faster and faster, like a slow build up to a hyper speed jump.

Ethan vigilantly monitored their position on a viewscreen from the bridge. "It won't take us long before we find ourselves back on the other side of Earth. When that happens, the engine overload will counter the gravitational pull enough to launch this ship straight at the fleet."

"Ethan, that's brilliant!" Carter replied. "But we don't want to destroy the ships if we can help it, only disable them."

Ethan pulled up data on the fleet's location. He charted out a possible route before cracking his knuckles. "Flight Simulator 5 on expert. Difficult, but doable."

Queen Diane looked around the bridge and noticed that General Axis and Salva were nowhere to be found. "Damn! They must have slipped away while we were busy with the ship. It must have been their plan from the start."

Professor Knox tried to console her. "There's nothing more we can do about that, My Queen. We're better served focusing on what we can do here."

"I cannot disagree with that, Professor." Diane rested her hand on Knox' shoulder. "And thank you, for being so strong in the face of adversity and not giving in to the demands of General Axis, even at the cost of your own life."

Knox smiled and nodded his head.

"Guys, it's almost that time," Ethan said. "We have to be long gone after this ship counters the gravitational pull or we're as good as cooked."

"I've already called the Astro4," Carter replied. "It might get rough, but with its speed, we should be able to transfer ships before this one goes critical."

Just as soon, red alerts started blaring throughout the Triforian vessel, signifying a dangerous spike in temperature.

"Jason," Ethan communicated. "It's about that time."

From the engine room, Jason used his Morpher's analysis to get a full layout of the engine. "Spiking the output of this component here… This should work, if only for a few seconds. I'm ready."

"Good. On 3, overload the engines. 1… 2… 3!"

Jason quickly pushed a series of buttons until the engine's gentle whir became a heavy, overwhelming sound. The power went critical, sending the thrusters beyond maximum output. The vessel continued to pick up velocity and altitude as the Resistance fleet ships drew closer.

"Guys, the Astro4 is here!" Carter communicated while running back towards the lower levels of the ship. "That's our cue to leave!"

"On my way," replied Taylor while dashing through the halls.

Diane, Knox, and the Rangers all started to make their way down towards the Astro4 docked just beneath the hot and steaming ship that was quickly chipping away and falling apart.

Jason opened the engine room doors when he noticed a figure standing in front of him. None other than General Axis, smirking, even now, against the crimson backdrop and blaring alarms. "You didn't honestly think it would be that easy to stop me, did you?"

"Are you kidding me right now?! Your ship is literally burning up! There's no time for this!"

"Nonsense! My power is absolute! I will destr—" Suddenly, a large metal beam fell upon Axis' back, pinning him to the ground.

Jason slowly walked up to the struggling Axis. The General wriggled and squirmed, but proved unable to pick himself up from the heavy pin.

Jason now wore the smirk. "Something heavy got you down? Heh, yeah, this feels like _exactly_ what you deserve. It's over, Axis. For good this time. Your ground troops are being handled, the rest of your fleet is about to feel the heat of your ship firsthand, and now you have nowhere to run." Jason stepped over Axis' trapped body and started to walk away. "We really do reap what we sow, and so be it."

"No… please…!" Axis cried out desperately while barely able to move. "Green Ranger, you must heed these words! There is an evil in this universe that is unfathomable! Whatever you may think of me, _he_ is exponentially worse. He cares not for order or freedom, for justice or liberty, for monarchs or generals, only for darkness."

Jason froze in place. Something about the tone of Axis' voice had dramatically changed. He didn't just sound desperate, he sounded genuinely afraid.

"I can help you defeat him! You thought I was bad news? Ha! He will stop at nothing to see your world and many others shrouded in terror…! I know this truth all too well… he is my older sibling after all… One day, he returned home from a battle in the infamous M51 Galaxy. Something had changed… If he comes, you'll stand no chance at defeating him without my insight!"

Jason glared back at him intensely while the ship rattled and shook around him. "Enough of the lies, Axis! You'd say anything to save your sorry excuse for a life! And what you did to Kendrix… I can't ever forgive you for!"

"You don't truly wish to leave me like this, do you? I assumed Power Rangers were supposed to do what's right and save lives. Or do you now get to pass judgement on who lives and who dies? How would that make you any better than me?"

A burning feeling started swelling up inside of Jason. Every word uttered out of Axis' mouth felt like it was ripping through his skin more deeply than his own aura. But then, his thoughts dwelled on Kendrix. Even while barely breathing, she did the right thing. Even while bearing unimaginable agony, she did the right thing and never had a second thought about it.

Jason ran back to Axis and lifted the metal bar off of him.

Axis slowly picked himself up and brushed himself off. "You've made a wise choice, Green Ranger." Axis tried to take a step, but a shooting pain shot down his backside. "GAH!"

"Please, shut up." Jason lifted Axis up on his back and ran as fast as he could towards the lower levels while the trembling ship's temperature continued to rise.

Inside the Astro4, everyone else had made it back. Everyone else anxiously waited for Jason to drop in while the backdrop continued to be cloaked with fire and flying metal sheets. Taylor felt a familiar tightness caught in the pit of her stomach. She kept pacing back and forth with arms tightly crossed while trying and failing to keep composed.

"What could be keeping Jason?" asked Ethan.

"We have to give him more time!" replied Taylor.

Carter's stoic expression could not match Taylor's resolve this time. He believed her words on countless occasions before, only to return from mission after mission inside a much quieter Megaship.

"Carter," Diane sighed. "You know better than anyone that we cannot afford to wait any longer if we wish to survive this ordeal. My son's sacrifice… will not go in vain."

Taylor turned around and stomped towards Diane. "Where the hell do you get off saying that about your own son!? This is his life we're talking about!"

Diane glared back without a flinch. "What would someone like you know about it? You are neither a mother, nor the leader of an entire kingdom, so forgive me for disregarding your input on the matter."

"Just like how we disregarded you when Axis locked you away?"

Diane's fists clenched just as Carter got in between the two. "That's enough! Fighting won't get us anywhere."

From just above, the team could see and feel the ship tearing apart as it quickly approached the enemy fleet. The Astro4 began rumbling, its hull taking on damage from the falling shards of metal.

"We have to go…" said Carter sullenly.

Taylor looked back at him with wide-eyed shock. "Carter, no!"

"He wouldn't want us to sacrifice ourselves if he knew he couldn't make it out."

Just then, two bodies hurled into the Astro4. A few cuts, scrapes, and ash marks, but Jason and Axis made made it out.

"Sorry I'm late guys," Jason said. "We had a bit of a setback."

Taylor ran to the consoles. "Set back or not, I'm getting us out of here."

She piloted the Astro4 out of the way of the ship and the fleet.

Once they were clear, everyone laid witness to Axis' ship slicing through wave after wave of Resistance vessel. The heat alone heavily damaged and disabled spacecrafts quick enough to avoid the worst of it, but many others had to abandon their vessels once the Triforian wings carved up their hulls.

A brilliant display of fire and smoke plastered across the sky. The ships that managed to escape the fiery peril quickly retreated, and the ships that didn't survive had escape pods on the ready. As per Carter's desire, casualties would be limited. All but one unaffected dark blue Tangerian vessel escaped any devastation and made its way towards the Earth's surface. The rest of the Resistance left the battle behind.


	18. Chapter 17: Teams

**Chapter 17: Teams**

A collective relief swept through the Astro4 bridge as the dismantled aerial forces of the Resistance flew further into the blackness of space.

Ethan wiped a bead of sweat from his face and turned to Jason. "Jason, you are certifiably insane. You know that, right?"

Jason smirked. "Says the guy using old movie tactics in an active war zone. Heh, but normal is way overrated anyways." His relief ran dry as his mind cleared. He started to look around the ship; his heartbeat quickening.

"Don't worry," Carter replied. "Kendrix is recovering just fine. In fact…"

Carter turned around as Kendrix entered the bridge fully patched up and looking just as radiant as ever.

Jason's eyes lit up as he ran up to hug her without a second thought. "You're okay."

Kendrix' eyes widened, caught off guard slightly by the sudden reaction before tightly embracing him back. "Thanks to you."

"Wasn't all me. Heh, and to think, you said you weren't a fighter before you joined the team."

"Well… I had something to fight for." Kendrix smiled brightly.

Jason breathed out in relief before looking towards everyone else. "Oh yeah, and sorry for making you guys worry about me… again. Hopefully it doesn't become too bad of a habit."

"In any case, it's great to have you back, my son," said Diane.

"You too, mother," Jason replied with a smile.

From the pilot's seat, Taylor rolled her eyes and shook her head.

Diane's gaze then turned to the injured, floor-ridden Axis. "Now, what to do with this one? Execution might be a decent start."

"No," Jason quickly replied. "Axis agreed to be used as an informant as a condition of his surrender."

"An informant? His ground troops are falling before us and his Resistance fleet has turned tail. Of what value is his information to us now?"

"Mother, Axis isn't our biggest problem. Turns out, he's got an older brother: Admiral Axl."

"He… speaks the truth," added Axis. "When he discovers my failure here, he'll seek me out, and likely… end me… And then, he'll end your planet. Not that I need remind you of his terror, 'My Queen,' hehehe."

Diane took a step back while a nervous shiver crawling inside her skin. She could feel the scars on her neck pulsating as flashes of her past started to take hold of her mind.

Jason looked upon her worriedly while he thought through his own memories. He couldn't recall his mother ever bringing up anyone by the name of Admiral Axl before, and yet, the shock in her eyes; a palpable reaction the likes of which he had never seen before.

"That's insane!" remarked Ethan.

"Why would your own brother do something like that?" added Kendrix.

"My brother, heh… always so great…" started Axis. "He was given everything, including size, fighting talent, and raw strength… natural skills lost on my end. He was more than my brother however. He was also my biggest physical abuser… I thought I hated him for it, but it taught me important lessons about struggle, weakness, and perseverance. He always had power gifted to him, but I worked to the bone to obtain mine and I won't let him get the better of me this time."

"Thrilling, truly," Diane replied. "We can discuss the rest of your story, and more importantly, your punishment, behind the doors of a cozy little cell. No leaky pipes, I'm afraid."

"Look alive guys," Taylor said as the Astro4 descended upon the orange, dust-soaked terrain where the other teams were still engaged with Dinox' forces. "We'll be hitting the battleground soon."

Kendrix looked to Jason. "Ready for another round?"

Jason looked back at Kendrix with a smile and a nod. "With ten more shoulders, those dinos don't stand a chance."

Carter nodded confidently. "Couldn't have said it better myself. Let's finish this. Together."

Back on rocky warzone, the assembled Ranger teams out of history continued to fight off Commander Dinox' raptor soldiers. Explosions coated the dusty landscape as enemy numbers continued to dwindle.

However, matters quickly became complicated with the arrival of Tangarian reinforcements. From behind Dinox' back-lines, the dark blue ship touched down. From out of it disembarked the final remnants of the invading Resistance fleet; the thickly built, dark blue monsters reigning from Tangar.

The myriad of Power Rangers in the current fray continued to fight fiercely under the waning heat of the late afternoon sun. But, the sight of additional forces freshly rushing into combat threatened to sap what remained of their second wind.

"We can't keep this up!" exclaimed Leo as he hacked and slashed his way through a pair of raptor soldiers with his Quasar Saber.

"Reinforcements are piling up!" Kai regrouped with the rest of the Galaxy Rangers. "We have to find a way to cut them off at the source!"

Danny, the Wild Force Black Ranger, continued cutting through enemies with his Black Bison Axe at a noticeably slower pace with heavy breathing.

A raptor blindsided him, knocking him down and pinning him to the ground while Danny barely managed to fend off its sharp teeth with his axe.

"Surrender, Earther! You look tasty!" it snarled.

"No!" Danny's arms rattled and quivered as he clenched tighter to his ase. He used every ounce of his strength to force the raptor's salivating mouth away. "Never… give… up!"

"Danny!" Max, the Blue Wild Force Ranger, then jumped into the fray, flinging himself into the raptor and knocking him off of Danny.

Max reached out his hand while his morphed state fizzled away in a flash of blue light. "You didn't forget."

Danny grabbed it and pulled himself back to his feet while his Ranger attire vanished as well. "I could never forget."

It didn't stop at the Wild Force pair. Rangers all across the warzone began demorphing, drained of their energy.

Dillon and Ziggy stood back to back, surrounded by a trio of raptors as their Ranger forms whittled away.

Dillon clenched his fists tighter. "Ziggy, stay behind me."

"And let you get torn apart? No way." Ziggy stepped forward and stood next to him.

Dillon turned his gaze to him and nodded. "Just like old times."

Ziggy then looked up and noticed a series of small explosions blanketing the sky just above them, seemingly toppling the enemy ships like dominoes with detonators. "Look, guys! Up there! Kind of early for fireworks isn't it? Or is this just a future thing?"

The other Rangers turned their gaze upwards to observe the chain of orange and yellow flames. Gem and Gemma both hopped in the air, thrilled to bits at the sight of the wave of explosions.

"Those aren't fireworks," Scott replied. "Those are enemy ships getting taken out!"

"Alright!" hollered Conner from the other side of the battlefield before playfully nudging Kira. "Bet you our resident brainiac figured out a way to pull that one off."

Dinox now looked to the sky; the sight sending a cold, slithering shiver down his spine. "W-What…?! NO! This can't be happening! General Axis said it would all work out!"

What remained to the raptor forces started to back down in alarm,

"That's the thing about Power Rangers…" said Tommy.

The other Rangers gathered together, all having seemingly found their third winds.

"...You can't keep us down for long," added Leo.

Gem and Gemma looked at each other while scratching their heads.

"But we haven't…" started Gem.

"...Been knocked down yet," finished Gemma.

Just as soon, the Astro4 whizzed by the battlefield. From out of it descended the Chronic Storm team in front of their Ranger allies.

"I hope you don't mind a bit of back-up," said Carter.

"Carter!" cried Leo. "Great to be fighting by your side again."

"I'm just glad Doctor K's plan worked."

"Whoa!" Conner approached Ethan and slapped his shoulder. "Dude, nice black uniform. Bet it comes with a sweet Ranger suit too."

"It sure does, but what happened to yours?" asked Ethan.

The Tangarians continued to rush the battlefield past where Dinox stood, shaken still by the desperation of the situation.

"We're all running low on power," said Cole to the others.

Taylor turned to the RPM Rangers. "Not for long."

"Right," Flynn replied as he held up his Morpher. "Doctor K made a few adjustments to the RPM Morphers, with a wee bit of help provided by this here mechanic."

Scott nodded. "Every time we morph, we slowly empower the Biofield here, permanently. Our next morph should give us a huge boost in output. Now all of us can Ranger up and fight for the future."

All, except one notably absent team. Carter looked all around, but couldn't find the Lightspeed Rescue Rangers. He forced the thought out of his mind, as what remained of the enemy forces still marched forward.

Carter clenched his fist and held up his Morpher. "All together! Ready guys!?"

"Ready!" Every Ranger present prepared their Morphers.

"Go, Galactic!"

"Wild access! Aiyah!"

"Dino Thunder, power up! Ha!"

"RPM! Get in gear!"

"Chronic Storm, Ranger form!"

The five Rangers teams morphed into Ranger mode inside a blinding flash of light capped off by a towering explosion from their backsides. The teams out of time quickly marched forward, charging the muscular Tangarians.

The blaster fire resumed, cutting through the land as the settling dust kicked up once more.

While in the middle of the fray, Jason witnessed a Tangarian soldier running at Carter's backside while Carter was occupied with another.

"Carter! Watch out!" Jason's aura started to emerge from out of his extended hand. It launched itself at the soldier, sending him flying across the battlefield.

"Whoa…" Jason looked at his outstretched hand in amazement. "Works a lot better with Ranger power mixed in. Also doesn't burn as much. Nice."

Jason tensed up both his arms and started to emit aura from either hand. He started launching aura blast after aura blast, toppling soldier after soldier.

Carter jumped back a bit after seeing the green energy zip across the battlefield firsthand. "Jason…? What is all this?"

"No idea! But it's way more fun to use without the pain—" Jason suddenly felt a harsh sting radiating inside both his arms. "Crap! Spoke too soon!"

And just as soon, a trio of soldiers noticed Jason's compromised arms and started charging him headfirst.

Jason turned to face them. "Take it from me, guys. That reckless charging business won't do you any favors."

Taylor, Kendrix, and Ethan struck their heads with jump kicks, sending the Tangarians to the dusty ground.

Carter approached the weakened trio. "Last chance. Leave and don't come back."

"Really?" one asked. "Screw it, I'm outta here!"

"Now that I think about it, a monarchy isn't so bad," added another.

All three picked themselves up and retreated. Tangarians all about the battlefield began following their example under the unrelenting power of the Ranger teams. While a Triforian would sooner fall in battle than admit defeat, the Tangarians are known to fold quickly when presented with a clear disadvantage.

"They're falling back!" cried Scott.

"Did we win?" asked Conner.

Dinox' compromised raptor forces sank their heads; their snarls and grunts long having left them after seeing their comrades fall and the cascading explosions captured by the sky.

The frustrated Dinox grabbed one of his raptor soldiers by the neck and injected him with a red serum. "This is no time to run! Now, FIGHT!"

The raptor soldier dropped on the ground while convulsing in pain. After several seconds of agony, its gyrating suddenly stopped. The raptor got back on its feet, its snarl returning. Its body began expanding in size until its frame overshadowed the battlefield.

The pair of retreating forces turned their heads around to witness the newly formed monster. They halted their retreat, invigorated anew by the changing tides. They raced back to the warzone with raised spirits and hearty battle cries to cheer on the giant raptor soldier.

"Uhh, Carter…?" Jason asked as the raptor snapped and hissed at the Ranger line.

"Yeah?"

"We still don't have Zords… do we?"

"Well… no…"

"Leo! The Astro Megaship!" cried Kai.

"Right!" replied Leo.

"Man, we should have used that this whole time," added Damon.

The RPM Rangers walked in front of the pack to confront the giant raptor.

Scott turned his head around and gave the others a thumbs up. "Leave this part to us. Down-morphing Zords!"

The RPM Rangers started to manifest their Zords from out of their their bodies. Multi-colored, moderately sized motor vehicles with a decidedly cartoonish aesthetic appeared before them inside a bright flash of light. But before too long, the Zords grew to their normal, exceedingly large height. Then, the Rangers entered their cockpits.

"Zords combine!" announced Scott.

The nine massive machines they summoned transformed and fit together, forming what is known as the SkyRev Megazord.

The giant raptor's eyes began to widen fearfully as its stare slowly lifted upward towards a Megazord twice its size. The realization sucked what air remained from the Resistance, leading most of the until recently unmotivated troops to lose motivation all over again.

Dinox was left stuttering and speechless, unable to spit out a command, let alone a response.

"Aww," Ziggy said. "It's kind of cute now."

"Guys, let's finish this quickly," said Scott.

"Aye!" Flynn replied. "I'll set em up and we'll blown him away!" He pushed a button on his console, resulting in the SkyRev Megazord kicking the raptor into the air.

"Activate Wheel Blasters!" ordered Scott.

The team all unsheathed a wheel-like blaster device from their cockpit consoles and aimed it at the airborne enemy.

"Full power! Final strike!"

The SkyRev Megazord unleashed energy projections of its individual Zords which then launched at the raptor, blowing it out of the skies for one final firework.

The ground Rangers all jumped and hollered cheerfully, celebrating a hard fought victory while Dinox and what remained of his men jumped back into their ships and made beelines back to the Andromeda Galaxy. The Tangarians had long since left.

When the all clear announcement reached Neo Angles, the soldiers and guards could finally breathe easily again while parties in the streets commenced instantly. Song, dance, and heavy drinking brought frivolity to the people long into the night and well into the next morning. The kingdom, the future, the day, once more saved by the Power Rangers. Needless to say, a great deal of interest would soon be generated by the re-emergence of the legendary heroes, both here, and far into the five known galaxies.

Later that night, all of the Ranger teams involved in the battle assembled at Time Force HQ for a much deserved celebration of their own. Stories were swapped, memories were shared, and Ziggy probably had a bit too much punch.

During the festivities, Jason looked around for Kendrix. He found Kai first and decided to chat with him.

"Kai, it was great working with you. Can't thank you enough for everything."

Kai shook his hand. "We did say that when you need us, you'll know where to find us. Or at least, Doctor K knew where to find us."

"So Doctor K was able to track down and communicate with all of you guys and then transport everyone to 2990?"

"I could hardly believe it myself. But I'm no temporal mechanics expert so I prefer to just go along with the explanation. The last time I fooled around with that stuff, we sort of got… lost…"

Jason rubbed his chin as he thought through the details. "I think… it may have been Carter's plan all along… We failed to recruit Summer, but maybe he was really trying to recruit Doctor K. None of this would be possible without her."

Maya walked over to the pair with two drinks in hand. "Guys, this is a celebration. You both look like you're already thinking about the next mission over here."

"Hehe, can't help it," Jason replied. "It's like a mode now and I can't find the off switch."

Jason noticed Maya handing one of her drinks to Kai. A little surprising, but the message seemed to be give them some space right now.

Jason continued to make his way through the party and ran across Ziggy. "Ziggy, hey! I guess you still got to be recruited, in a way."

Ziggy still had a bit of food in his mouth at the time. He quickly scarfed it down before speaking, "Yeah, I knew once Doc K got that super serious, really scary look in her eyes while she messed around with the Biofield that we'd find our way here. I don't think she slept for three days straight."

"But one thing I don't get… You would have jumped right in, even before we talked about the mission or proved who we were. Why is that?"

Ziggy smiled and shrugged. "I've been around liars, criminals, and con men all my life. I could tell you and Carter over there weren't one of them. And besides, why would a Power Ranger ever be evil, am I right? Haha, that'd just be crazy."

Jason's mind immediately flooded with images of every evil Ranger and their various battles. But he wasn't about to upend Ziggy's positive outlook. "Y-Yeah… We're the good guys, ehehe."

Just then, Jason caught Kendrix out of the corner of his eye. She noticed him as well and motioned him to come to her. He did not hesitate.

That warm smile. It was all he could see as he maneuvered his way past some of the people he idolized growing up. It was strange to him, how little he felt it. After everything that's come to pass, he didn't quite feel like the fan he used to be.

"It looks like we saved the world," said Kendrix.

"Emphasis on the 'we' for sure. We could only have done this as a team. Teams, actually."

The pair shared a laugh before a strange silence befell them. A silence overwhelmed by the chatter and conversation swirling around the room.

Kendrix opened her mouth just a bit, then closed it, trying to piece together the words she wanted to say. "Jason, I…"

Jason could read it in her eyes and in the way she fiddled with her fingers. He could see all the gears turning, trying to come up with yet another perfect line. Something to neatly wrap up what both knew to be true. "I think I know what you want to say, and I understand… You'll need to return to your own time soon and I'll need to stay here and… well…"

Jason bowed his head morbidly, but Kendrix placed her hands on his cheeks and brought his face back up. "Hey. You need to know that wherever I am, whenever I am, I'll be thinking about you and all the amazing things that you did. For the world, for the universe… for me… You're a great Ranger, but you're a better person, and I'll never forget you."

Kendrix pecked Jason on the cheek.

The gentle caress of her lips on his skin sent shock waves through his entire body. Jason stood stunned for a few moments before he could bring himself to speak from his quivering lips, "...I-I'll never forget you either, Kendrix. Nor would I ever want to."

Without thinking, Jason pulled her in for a hug. Kendrix hugged him back as they embraced each other tightly.

Carter observed them from across the room. A rather sizable grin stretched across his face while he continued talking with Queen Diane. "I knew it was a good idea to send him on that solo mission."

Diane looked upon her son while a myriad of conflicting feelings clung to her mind. But through it all, she couldn't help but faintly smile. "Hmm, he seems happier now with his life in constant peril than at any point I can remember. You and your team have changed him, Carter, for the better." She turned her gaze to a nearby window with sharpened eyes. "But, this war is not over yet. If there truly is another Triforian threat looming, we may just be out of the frying pan and into the fire, if you'll pardon the archaic expression."

"Quite frankly ma'am, it's not all that archaic to me. I understand your feelings, but if Admiral Axl has plans for Earth, we'll need Jason. I can't tell you what to do with your kid, that's well above me. But he's become a really good Ranger. And I think someday, he'll even be a great one. So I'm hoping that you'll allow him to keep serving."

Diane considered his words while looking back at the large smile and hearty laughs of her son, still in conversation with Kendrix. "...Keep him safe out there, Carter. That is all I ask… Nothing I've done, I've built, I've sacrificed, means a thing if he cannot live a full and happy life. His father… he used to say those very words to me often after Jason was born…"

Diane sighed mournfully. "How I wish the two had more time together…"

Carter nodded. "We've lost a lot of good people… I won't lose him."


	19. Chapter 18: Sun

**Chapter 18: Sun**

Queen Diane excused herself from the festivities to pay a visit to her prized war prisoner. General Axis had been locked up in a high priority, thickly layered cell inside Time Force HQ. Every corner and station had officers posted around the clock, constantly surveilling the captured criminal from within the silver-tinted walls.

Diane entered the cell where Axis resided and removed the covering that had been placed on his mouth.

"Ah! 'My Queen.' To what do I owe this… er, honor?"

Diane fiercely backhanded him across the face. "You should be burnt to ash for your crimes and the _only_ reason you are still breathing is because I'm allowing it…! Now, you made a promise to my son that you had answers for us regarding your… brother." She shivered slightly at the thought. "If you prove lacking in the information department, I don't think you'll need to worry about _him_ coming for you… because I would have long since finished the job."

Axis looked upon Diane's icy glare and smirked. "It burns you, doesn't it? To have me, here, captured, vulnerable, only to realize an even larger shadow is set to be cast across your kingdom for which you need the intel I can provide. The feeling must be incredible."

Diane's scowl grew sharper as she cocked back her hand again.

"Fret not, fret not. I plan very much to give you the answers you need. Getting rid of him once and for all has its own benefits to me. Constantly looking behind one's back does no favors for the neck."

"Triforians…" Diane slowly dropped her hand. "The things you're willing to do to your own kin sicken me."

Axis laughed heartily. "Now now, I don't believe that you can stand there and call me out for what _I'm_ willing to do to my so called kin. We both know why that makes you something of a hypocrite now don't we?"

Diane had no response.

"Sacrificing for power is the name of the game we both play, 'My Queen,' hehehe."

"Enough! You will speak no further! I will get the answers I need soon enough. But if your brother is as hell bent on destroying you as you'd have us believe, you will make for a nice bartering piece, should we require it."

Diane left Axis' cell.

"And thank you for the accommodations! One of the finer places I've ever been locked up in." Axis continued to laugh while Time Force officers reapplied his mouth restraint.

Diane's heart raced throughout the exchange, only now slowing down to a normal pace. _Axis must be lying. There's no possible way Axl could have returned… I'll figure out how much he really knows soon enough_.

Just upstairs, Time Force prepared their time warp device to send the Ranger teams back to their own homes. The members of Chronic Storm collectively decided to stay for a little bit longer to spend time with each other before they parted ways. Ethan, Taylor, and Kendrix each exchanged pleasantries with the members of their original Ranger teams before they were sent back with the promise that they would all see each other again soon.

Carter found himself by himself throughout most of the farewells. He felt a strange emptiness seeing Ethan joke around with his team of Dino Thunder Rangers. Their liveliness reminded him of the "charm" of Joel Rawlings, the Lightspeed Rescue Green Ranger. He thought about what his team was doing now, if everything was okay. Just before he came to this time, they had helped the Time Force Power Rangers stop Vypra, an old nemesis of Lightspeed who somehow returned to the land of the living. Carter thought constantly about who else might have come back in his absence.

More than anything, he thought about Dana. He asked her out officially just before he left. They only hung out casually, free and any true labels, before then. He decided on a very old fashioned approach as well, formally asking for Captain Mitchell's permission beforehand. He remembered Dana's saddened expression most of all; the strong face she made to mask her sullenness when Carter went through his very first time portal… It had been so long. But he knew he couldn't go home just yet.

Over the next three days, the kingdom and all of its followers stood on high alert for anything that might resemble an Admiral Axl sighting. Axl notably ruled over Triforia prior to the late General Pyreus, and prior to the formation of the Universal Monarchy. Some would say he led the original Resistance during Diane's rise to power. Their conflict never truly settled however, as Axl vanished without a trace at some point prior to Earth declaring victory over Triforia. Every now and then, rumors would spread of his return; a sighting in the Lion Galaxy, a brief stint in the Lost Galaxy, but nothing concrete. For over 20 years, neither Earth, nor Triforia, nor any planet or star system with intelligent life, could truly track down his whereabouts.

But when the next sun rose, terrifying developments emerged. Queen Diane called the Rangers into her meeting room to discuss the details.

Diane looked noticeably distraught and fidgety sitting at her hexagonal table as the team all took their seats around her. "Rangers… our worst fears have come to fruition… General Axis was not exaggerating when he spoke of his brother's power."

"What do we know about Admiral Axl?" asked Carter.

Diane gathered herself and pushed a button on her wrist, creating a holographic display of a planet at the table's center. She displayed Earth right next to it for scale. The silver-colored globe dwarfed the Earth by a factor of 5. "What we know is that he has completely wiped out the population of Zordina."

"The whole planet!?" Jason's jaw dropped while a nervous sweat escaped his pores. "It… It can't be…! Zordina is almost five times the size of Earth with some of the best weapons tech in the universe. To take them out… it would have taken a fleet at least one hundred times bigger than what we faced."

"That's just the thing," Diane added. "According to what we were able to recover from Zordina's final minutes, all it took was a single, unidentified vessel."

"One ship!?" asked Ethan.

Taylor shook her head in disbelief as her gaze dropped. "How do we stop that…?"

Diane bowed her head. "If he has access to this level of devastation, there may be no feasible way to stop him, I'm afraid…"

"...No!" Jason rose from his chair, looking around at the heavy expressions. "I'm not quitting before we even try! Guys, we're still Power Rangers. Things will never get easier, but we _will_ rise to the challenge. So I'm going to do whatever it takes to stop this guy."

Kendrix smiled before lifting herself from her chair. "I'm with you."

Taylor just barely cracked a smile. She pushed herself up off her seat, looked back to Diane, and nodded. "I'm in too."

"And you're not leaving me behind," added Ethan as he stood up to join the others.

Carter followed suit, lifting himself up before turning to face Diane, still sitting. "Well ma'am, you have your response right there. We're going to bring Admiral Axl to justice."

"Understood," Diane replied. "Take great caution, Rangers. This will undoubtedly be your most daunting test yet."

The Rangers started to leave the room just as Diane stood up. "My son, a word."

Jason turned back around. The others stopped as well to wait up for him. "Go on ahead, guys. She's got that 'I need to speak with you alone' type of vibe."

"Accurate," replied Diane.

The others nodded and continued out of the meeting room.

"Yes, mother?"

Diane motioned Jason to come closer.

Jason sighed and walked up to her.

She then brought in Jason for a suffocatingly tight hug. "You've grown up quite a bit since the last time we spoke in this very room… This life, it's your choice to make. However, I would not easily forgive you if harm were to befall you. Remember that."

"Heh, with you around, I'd be way more worried for whoever caused the harm. And thank you, mother. I won't let you down."

Jason confidently nodded before running out of the room to rejoin his team.

Once Jason was aboard the Astro4, the Chronic Storm Rangers quickly departed towards Zordina, hoping for a possible lead from the ruins of the ravaged planet.

Once the team gathered on the bridge, Jason looked around expecting to see downtrodden faces, burdened by the weight of the next mission. That wasn't to be. Despite the perilous circumstances, the room felt light, hopeful, inspired. Even Taylor didn't seem nearly as moody.

Ethan told her more about one of his favorite video games: Flight Simulator 5. The version he managed to access on the Astro4 mainframe came with a versus mode. A bit of poking, prodding, and a few sarcastic taunts tried Taylor's patience. She couldn't resist the urge any longer.

As they left to do virtual battle, Carter stayed put on the bridge wearing a more sullen look than the others. He took a seat, laid his head back deep inside a bridge chair, and closed his eyes, trying to capture what rest he could. He had nearly forgotten how long it had been since he entered that time portal. All of his hairs were dark brown just five years ago. Long forgotten was the memory of when the first strand turned gray.

While leaving the bridge, Kendrix softly nudged Jason's arm before subtly motioning her head towards the hall, suggesting a return trip to the observation deck.

Jason nodded, understandingly.

"So," Kendrix began, "we talked about our interesting secondary school experiences, hehe. How about something more fun, like music?"

She slowly wrapped her arm around Jason's, slightly flustering him while they made their way across the hall and up the stairs.

"Y-Yeah, music! Sounds great! Although, we might not have a lot in common there."

"Well… do you guys still listen to The Beatles in the future?"

Jason's eyes lit up. "In a way, yes. Their music still inspires a lot of today's biggest tracks. Although I'm pretty sure I've never listened to anything by the original… trio…?"

"There's actually four of them. Too many people forget about Ringo Starr."

Jason turned to Kendrix with a raised eyebrow. "Wait, that's someone's name!? How could anyone forget _him_?"

Kendrix chuckled. "My thoughts exactly!"

The pair walked up the last few steps, arm in arm, once again finding themselves gazing into the star-filled observation deck.

"We can access music up here, right?" asked Kendrix.

"Yeah, we can."

"Good." Kendrix smiled as she took to one of the consoles; a smile that only brightened upon delving into the multitude of music options from the 1960's. "You're in for a treat. I'll play you one of my all-time favorite songs."

Jason rubbed his head, trying to sort through his limited knowledge of music history. "Let me guess… 'Free Bird'?"

Kendrix laughed heartily. "That's by Lynyrd Skynyrd."

Both Jason's brows shot up. "I'm… not even gonna try to pronounce that."

Kendrix shook her head with a gentle, delicate smile. She found the song she wanted and pressed a button on the console. A moment later, the observation deck became cascaded in a soothing guitar melody.

The pair sat next to each other on the surprisingly warm floor.

"Here comes the sun, doo doo doo doo," the lyrics played over a simple harmony.

Kendrix rested her head on Jason's shoulder while humming along.

He looked back at her peaceful expression while smoothly slipping his fingers in between hers.

The universe of shimmering stars surrounding them seemed to drift into the background. Jason could not take his eyes off of the woman before him, confident that no celestial body in the unending cosmos could ever shine brighter than Kendrix Morgan.

Continued in Power Rangers Chronic Storm 2!


End file.
